Ученики школы Келзевилл через участие в FFA развивают лидерские качества и планируют будущее

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... LAKEPORT— Even though numerous FFA students willingly take on the responsibility of raising an animal by putting that animal first they intuitively tie that dedication to achieving their life’s goal whether they continue to be involved with animals as a vital part of their intellectual growth whether their career path will tether them to animal care or not. Dutch Koschik is an FFA member since the summer before he started his freshman year at Kelseyville High School caring for chickens and now as he just completed his sophomore year with raising still more chickens, he sees heir care has sparked his thirst for knowledge in ways that goes beyond just July’s husbandry. At last year’s County Fair auction, he sold one animal pen of chickens for $800 and a second one for $600. During the beginning of the year he just completed he also became the schools’ parliamentarian. “I think having the ability to go to these opportunities is really joyful and it’s a good way to learn and I intend to stay in FFA for the next years in my high school career,” he said. “I’m definitely saving up for college but I’m also using that money to invest into another project. I’ll use the money (auction earnings) for my 11 laying hens at home. I have five chicks and have five hens and integrating the 6-week old chicks into the to the flock.” Although Koschick has not given a lot of thought to college this past year but more on enjoying his second year at high school, the bigger picture on his education is coming into sharper focus. “The biggest philosophy I take into it, is making sure I take the harder classes to make sure al the doors are open for whatever I want to do in my future. I haven’t necessarily decided yet.”  Yet while he thought about a possible career  in the medical field, he has also contemplated looking into the veterinarian sciences. His classmate, Jose Mejia, is entering his senior year and while raising chickens and a hog last year Mejia is now  focused just with his hogs. He has a male Milo, fattened up to 296 pounds and a female Millie at 234 pounds who struggled with gaining weight. Mejia saw FFA  during  his first year as an opportunity by going to conferences or speaking competitions, just as valuable as raising livestock. “But I decided to be a (FFA) Chapter officer, so, I’m serving as a Sentinel Officer,” he said. “The enjoyment I get from raising  my hogs is their personality. I think it’s cool, because obviously, they don’t rise themselves,” he recalled. “They were a little stubborn at times, getting them to walk as they’re supposed to and overall just the challenge of showmanship” But Mejia was was also inspired by going up against his classmates within the FFA and comparing how good his fellow students were and how they compared with the care he he devoted to his hogs. “Last year’s money from the auction I put it toward college tuition,” he said. “I thought about doing something in the medical field- but I’m not exactly sure what. I thought about a pediatrician or anesthesiologist.” However more than his own ambition, Mejia also relished going up against fellow FFA members and seeing what they would bring to the table. “And seeing how good are their animals provides the challenge of trying to do better,” he said. “Yet this year I’ll be trying to save money for college tuition. I thought about something in the human sciences.” He already knows he’d prefer to remain n California. He ha s been thinking of applying to UC Davis, or UC San Diego or as he called it one of his “reach’ schools” UCLA or UC Berkeley. Heather Koschik, is one of five Kelseyville High School advisers. She noted it was not just a love of animals yet a love of learning that gravitated her towards becoming a FFA coach. “The students learn to work as a team, punctuality and communication skills- FFA is about learning to be better human beings, even if they never walk into another barn again.” The FFA students are actually sought after, from the community. There is also the leadership component, Koschik stressed, where students learn to interact with people, interview and learn public speaking.  “The classroom is only one component of what they are doing. Their programs and (acquired) leadership through the FFA organization, which makes a really well-rounded package, and makes for accountability. Watching their growth from their incoming year until their outgoing seniors, is really phenomenal.”