The Atwater High School FFA joined 120 FFA members, representing thirteen high school agriculture programs in the Merced-Mariposa FFA Public Speaking Sectional at Merced College January 24. The “top 4” individuals in each contest advance to the regional prelims in February.
Atwater High School agriculture program senior Makala Navarro placed first overall in Prepared Public Speaking. Her speech was on sustainable agriculture. The contest for all participants involves a 6-8 minute speech on an agriculture-related topic/issue, a written manuscript which is scored, and a question and answer period between the contestant and judges following the speech. Courtney Creighton and Julianna Daily also participated and earned top finishes.
Amanda Skidmore (first overall) and Joseph Avila-Vargas (third overall) of the Atwater High School agriculture program qualified for the regional finals in the Job Interview contest which involves students completing a cover letter, resume, job application, and panel interview. This event emphasizes developing, practicing, and demonstrating skills needed when seeking employment. Other Atwater FFA members that competed in the Job Interview contest included Juan Hernandez, Cheyenne Birmingham, and Gabriela England.
Atwater High School agriculture program sophomore Jasmine Flores placed first overall and will be moving onto the regional finals in the Impromptu Speaking contest. The impromptu speech is given without any preparation, any notes or other additional materials; it is a spontaneous reaction to an agriculture-related topic at hand which may introduce an interesting turn to the discussion. Dayana Argueta also competed in the sectional finals.