WCS FFA Competes

Provided Photo

By Alycia Schick, WCS Public Information Specialist

Thirteen Waterville Junior-Senior High School students recently put their public speaking skills to the test at the District 5 Junior High Future Farmers of America competition, hosted by Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville Central School District.

Layla Barnes and Angel Nguyen competed in the Junior People in Agriculture category, presenting insightful perspectives on potential careers in the industry.

Wyatt Keenan took on the Senior People in the agriculture category, delivering a compelling presentation on the role of an equine farm manager—an effort that earned him a spot in the next round.

Waterville also made a strong impression in the Agricultural Issues Forum.

Team 1 was composed of Allyson Ford, Olivia Ford, Ericka Foley, Skylar Falin, Austin Florenz, and Tucker Florenz.

They tackled the hot topic issue of GMOs in farming.

Team 2, composed of McKenna Furner, Nathan Jones, Cooper Patterson, and

Edmond Yang delivered a discussion on the role of immigrant labor in agriculture.

Their presentation secured them a place in the substrate competition, where they qualified for the states.

The Senior Prepared Public Speaking contest saw fierce competition, with Allyson Ford and Cooper Patterson stepping up to the podium.

Patterson’s speech on farm subsidies in the United States proved compelling enough to advance to the next level.

Earlier this year, 15 WCS students participated in the FFA Ignite Conference.