News | Santa Maria Joint Union High School District

For the second year in a row, the Santa Maria FFA has been named the Santa Barbara Section Outstanding Agriculture Program.

This honor is awarded each year at the South Coast Region FFA State Degree and Proficiency Awards Ceremony, which was held at the Clark Center in Arroyo Grande on April 8, 2018.

The Outstanding Program Award is based on the three circle model of Agriculture Education. It includes FFA Leadership, Supervised Agriculture Experiences and Classroom Instruction.

“This is a tremendous honor for the eight agriculture teachers and 942 students of the Santa Maria FFA program,’’ according to Shannon Powell of the Saint Ag Department.

In addition, a new record was set in the program when, fifty-one, students from Santa Maria FFA were awarded their State FFA Degree at the ceremony. The State FFA Degree is the highest degree a member can receive by the State FFA Association. In order to qualify, members must have earned and productively invested at least $1,000 and worked 500 hours in excess of scheduled class time on an agriculture related project, have a record of outstanding leadership abilities, and have completed 25 hours of community involvement.

Proficiency Awards were also presented to seven students with excellent work experience or ownership projects based on an application, the amount of time invested and money earned. These awards honor students who have developed specialized skills that they can apply toward their future careers, Powell added.

Senior Rosie Diaz stated: “Winning a Proficiency Award was something I never thought I could do. As I received the award for the Agriscience Research – Animal Science Proficiency, I got a splendid feeling because it meant that my dedication and time on my Cattle Flight Zone Research Project paid off. I gained a great deal of knowledge from this project.”

One student also qualified as a State Finalist in their respective proficiency area. Senior Julia Martinez, who qualified in the area of Vegetable Production, will compete at the State Competition in Anaheim California in late April.

NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY: The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District is committed to ensuring equal, fair, and meaningful access to employment and education services. The SMJUHSD does not discriminate in any employment practice, education program, or educational activity on the basis and/or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics of age, ancestry, color, disability, ethnicity, ethnic group identifications, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital, family or parental status, medical condition, military or veteran status, nationality, national origin, immigration status, political affiliation, pregnancy and related conditions, race, religion, retaliation, sex (including sexual harassment), sexual orientation, or any other basis prohibited by California state and federal nondiscrimination laws respectively. Not all bases of discrimination will apply to both education services and employment. If you believe you have been subjected to discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying, immediately contact the District’s Discrimination, Equity and Title IX Compliance Officer Mr. Kevin R. Platt at 2560 Skyway Drive, Santa Maria, CA 93455, (805) 922-4573 or kplatt@smjuhsd.org. You may request a copy of SMJUHSD’s Uniform Complaint Procedures, Non-Discrimination Policies, Sexual Harassment Policies or click here.