Naaman Forest Senior is First GISD National Finalist in FFA Floriculture
Article Date: December 19, 2007
Maria Puente, a senior at Naaman Forest High School, recently earned National Finalist honors in the Floriculture Proficiency Award, given by the Future Farmers of America. She was recognized as one of only four students in the country to earn the FFA’s highest honor in the floriculture category at this fall’s national convention in Indianapolis.
The feat is a first for both Naaman Forest HS and the Garland ISD.
“Naaman Forest has never had any category of a proficiency award make it to the state level, so to advance all the way to the national level is huge for us,” said Shari Crawford, advisor of the high school’s FFA program. “It is also the first time ever that a GISD student has advanced to the national level in the floriculture proficiency category.”
Crawford and Puente spent several hours toiling through the floriculture category of the FFA Agricultural Proficiency Award (APA) application.
The intensive application program encourages and challenges members to set personal goals and learn practical skills in a Supervised Agricultural Experience program – the actual, hands-on application of concepts and principles learned in the agricultural education classroom.
Students are supervised by agricultural education teachers along with parents, employers and other adults who assist them in the development and achievement of their educational and career goals. After documenting her rigorous schedule, Puente submitted her application and was rewarded for her diligence. Awards actually began piling up last spring and included several recognitions prior to her national accolade.
She was first honored as tops in her chapter, then earned the same nod at the district and area levels. From there, she continued to the State FFA Convention in Corpus Christi where she was given a $1,000 college scholarship in front of thousands of fellow members.
In being named best in Texas, her application won the entire FFA Western Region – which includes chapters from Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington.
Puente then went on to Indianapolis and the National FFA Convention where she finished as one of the top four students in the country, received a national finalist plaque and a $250 cash prize.
“Maria deserves a huge ‘Congratulations’ from all of us,” Crawford said. “This process was a lot of hard work, but things like this really make me understand why I love being an AgScience teacher and FFA advisor.”
Puente, who also serves as president of the school’s FFA program, plans on attending the University of Oklahoma. She hopes to continue with floral, possibly by working at a florist through college.