Hollister
– Students laughed and cheered as their teachers gripped
steering wheels and looked nervously through safety helmets before
being pushed off in giant tubs across the pavement.
Hollister – Students laughed and cheered as their teachers gripped steering wheels and looked nervously through safety helmets before being pushed off in giant tubs across the pavement.
The tub races were just one of many activities that occurred at San Benito High School this week as a part of the school’s annual FFA week. The popular agricultural organization put on a milk chugging contest, a haybale bucking contest and a teacher appreciation breakfast in an effort to promote the club, which has nearly doubled in size over the last four years.
“The kids look forward to this every year,” said teacher Kelly Bianchi, who is the adviser to the FFA club.
More than 200 students at SBHS are members of FFA and the club continues to grow in popularity each year.
The national FFA organization, which changed its name from Future Farmers of America in 1988 to acknowledge the importance of technology and sciences in agriculture, was created with the idea of promoting agricultural education and leadership.
Members of the high school’s club said FFA is especially important in a community like San Benito County.
“It keeps some of Hollister’s agricultural community alive. It keeps a lot of the traditions that our city and county was founded on alive,” said said SBHS senior Alethea Prewett, who is the club’s president.
Despite the emphasis on agriculture, many students said the club is not limited just to those interested in becoming farmers, as the name once suggested. They pointed out that members learn a lot of leadership skills through the club.
“Kids get the idea that ‘Future Farmers of America’ means that you’re going to be a farmer or a rancher,” said Sam Cegalia, a senior in FFA. “But in the past four years I’ve seen that people don’t think that as much.”
Cegalia said that although she does have plans to go into an agricultural field – she is attending Cal Poly, San Luis Obisbo, next year to become a veterinarian – she doesn’t think the club should be limited to those interested in working in agriculture.
This idea was echoed by Bianchi.
“There’s so many leadership activities to take part of,” Bianchi said. “There’s lots of things that kids learn: technology, career choices. … Whatever they choose, we’re training them to be employable no matter what they do.”
In the future, Bianchi said the she is hoping to expand the program in terms of the curriculum that is available to the kids.
As a part of FFA, students are expected to take part in agriculturally based experiences, such as working on the school’s farm, which is located next to the football field. The club also planted an orchard last year on the farm, and takes part in various leadership retreats and contests.
While the club continues to grow and change, the FFA has remained a constant presence at San Benito High School.
“It’s always nice when we have FFA week, to see the parents who were in FFA come back and continue the tradition,” Ceglia said.
Alice Joy covers education for the Free Lance. You can reach her at (831) 637-5566 ext. 336 or at [email protected].
