HCVSD Academy Students Headed to FFA National Event

Califon, N.J. – Formed just last year, the FFA Chapter of the Environmental Sustainability & Engineering Academy (ESEA) within Hunterdon County Vocational School District already has made its presence known in New Jersey. Now, some members are looking to make waves nationally.

The ESEA’s FFA members recently competed in the FFA Career Development Events (CDE) at Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, logging impressive individual scores, which contributed to two top team finishes and an invitation to nationals.

The Land Judging team placed first in the state out of 12 teams, earning the opportunity to represent New Jersey at the national contest held in Oklahoma this spring. Team members and their individual rankings include:

• Ned Scannell: 1st place individual 
• Meredith Whitlock: 2nd place individual
• Juliann Bonomi: 6th place individual 
• Nina Weiland: 7th place individual

The Forestry team placed second – just seven points away from first. Team members and their rankings include:

• Alyssa Pershad - 3rd place individual
• Amelia Weldon - 4th place individual 
• Kirstyn McKee - 5th place individual 
• Emily Robbins - 8th place individual 

ESEA Instructor and FFA Advisor Renée Stillwell said the students put in significant time on their own to prepare for competition, staying after school, accessing shared resources via Google Classroom, and practicing on testing platforms such as Edulastic. She said the Land Judging team met for an extended practice on the Califon Campus, where members dug a soil profile and then completed steps as if they were in an actual competition. Because this team will move on to nationals, it will now begin traveling to different locations to dig soil profiles and evaluate slopes as additional practice for the next level of competition.

Stillwell also credited the ESEA curriculum with helping students deliver such strong performances at the recent CDE. She said students in both ESEA I and II learn all major concepts covered in both the Land Judging and Forestry events. In fact, ESEA I students spend an entire unit on conducting soil evaluations and understanding the composition of soils, which also prepares them for the soil section on the AP Environmental Science Exam.

“Any student interested in pursuing a career in the environmental field would benefit from participating in these events,” she said, adding, “competing in FFA Career Development Events gives students experiences that help them better understand what future careers could both look and feel like.”

Stillwell knows firsthand the benefits of FFA participation. Her own history with the organization was likely one of the secrets to the ESEA students’ recent wins. In fact, she placed first individually in the 2012 Land Judging event; in 2013, she placed 10th in Forestry. After graduating high school, she remained involved in FFA, serving as New Jersey FFA State Secretary from 2016-17 and State President from 2017-18.

“With my experience…I felt prepared to give my students the resources and support they needed to be successful, but ultimately, their success is a testament to their hard work and dedication to studying the materials we discussed,” she said. “I could not be more proud of them!”

To apply for any Hunterdon County Vocational School District programs starting next academic year, visit hcvsd.org, and click “Apply Now” at the top, right by Dec. 17. The district’s ESEA and other four-year academies welcome students to apply who will be freshmen in fall of 2022.

Hunterdon County Vocational School District offers three full-time, science-based Academies: The Biomedical Sciences Academy (BSA), the Computer Science & Applied Engineering Academy (CSAEA) and the Environmental Sustainability & Engineering Academy (ESEA). The district’s largest school is Hunterdon County Polytech Career & Technical School, a shared-time high school that prepares students for a seamless transition to college and career paths. HCVSD also operates an Adult & Continuing Education school. Learn more at www.hcvsd.org.

All pupils will be given equal opportunity for enrollment in programs operated by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status (34 C.F.R. Part 100, Appendix B, Section IV-A). No qualified handicapped person shall, on the basis of handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity which receives federal financial assistance, et seq (34 C.F.R. Part 104.4(a)(b).