WEST SIDE INDEX | GUSTINE PRESS• STANDARD | B1
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2019
S A L U T I N G
GUSTINE FFA SOWING THE SEEDS OF SUCCESS
Moitozo leads Gustine chapter as president Creed speaking was one of Nicole Moitozo’s first FFA experiences, taking her to the state finals and sparking the motivation to involve herself in all the organization has to offer. Today, the Gustine High senior is chapter president and serves as Central Region treasurer, among the most recent of her many achievements through Gustine FFA. That level of involvement was not what she envisioned when joining the chapter as a freshman, Moitozo acknowledged. “I have always known of the program and the benefts of it, but I never thought I would be this involved. I thought that I would be involved in the basics,” she shared. “It really started with creed. Making it to state my freshman year really sparked the FFA in me. There was no stopping there.” Moitozo has since attended a number of leadership con-
ferences, took part in speaking competitions, been a part of judging teams, attended state and national FFA conferences and raised livestock projects. “I love the travel, and all the speaking competition and judging teams,” said Moitozo, who is the daughter of Stephen and Denise Moitozo. “I have always been a competitive person, but I had never really been able to exhibit that. I have also always loved public speaking, so when I heard there were contests I thought I would give that a shot.” One of her FFA highlights was being a member of the food sciences team which won the state championship and competed at the national level. In the livestock ring Moitozo, who had shown market hogs through her 4-H years, showed a pig the summer before freshman year but has since switched to showing dairy replacement heifers.
“I wanted a change, and I have always been interested in dairy. I think they are beautiful animals,” she shared. “With hogs, you just show them around....heifers you have in your hands and have to lead them. It is kind of like dancing with a partner.” Moitozo said she is enjoying her dual officer role. this year. “I love serving as the Central Region treasurer,” she related. “You are serving so many more members, which is one of the biggest things. At the region, I am meeting members as I go.” At the chapter level, Moitozo said, she in some ways has more responsibilities as president. Her message to fellow Gustine High students is that FFA holds a place for everyone, regardless of background or interests. “I want to leave the lasting impression that everybody is welcome here,” she empha-
sized. “There are so many opportunities in this program. If it is leadership you want and you want nothing to do with ag, we’ve got it. You can’t go wrong.” Her many FFA experiences have been enriching, Moitozo reflected, and have better prepared her for college studies (she plans to attend Cal Poly and study ag communications) and beyond. “I have been able to make so many connections and made friendships through that. This has given me an opportunity to watch myself grow, and to see how much I have changed as a result of being in this organization,” said Moitozo, who expressed her appreciation for the ag teachers/FFA advisers at Gustine High. “I was never shy, but FFA has really helped me be a more confident person. I can say, ‘I can do this’.”
Nicole Moitozo is the 2018-19 Gustine FFA chapter president.
FFA involvement fosters personal growth for Lopes
Selina Lopes has shown dairy projects throughout her years with Gustine FFA.
Selina Lopes is among Gustine FFA’s most accomplished members, with achievements that range from being elected a regional officer to being part of a team representing Gustine in a national convention to shining in the dairy show rings of Merced County fairs. Perhaps most importantly, though, her many FFA activities have fostered empowering personal growth which has changed her career goals and brought her strengths and abilities to the forefront. Lopes said she looked forward to being in FFA after watching her older siblings thrive in the organization, but as a freshman was shy and reserved. That changed as a sophomore. “I got pretty serious about FFA, and realized how much I enjoyed the atmosphere and what FFA has to offer. I did impromptu speaking, continued to show dairy projects, started doing project comp and ran for section office (she was elected sentinel),” Lopes told Mattos Newspapers. One catalyst for that change was her experience at the national FFA convention (the first of three she attended). “Going as a sophomore opened my eyes, and I really wanted to go far. A whole new world opened up to me,” Lopes shared. “It was so exciting to see people from other states embracing the same things that I embrace.” Her litany of FFA accomplishments was only beginning at that point.
As a junior, she was a member of the chapter’s state championship food sciences team, which competed last fall at the national level. “Competing at the nationals was one of my goals,” Lopes noted. She also ran for Central Region office, and is currently serving as the regional reporter. Another box checked off. “Being able to serve as a regional officer is one of my biggest accomplishments. Being able to fill that goal is huge for me,” said Lopes, who is also the Gustine chapter’s vice president her senior year. Still another FFA highlight was showing the FFA reserve champion and overall reserve dairy champion at last year’s Spring Fair. “It was pretty exciting. Being able to exhibit a home-
bred heifer and win (those titles) showed how far my family dairy has come,” said Lopes, who credited the hard work of her parents Paul and Darlene Lopes and older brother Tony Lopes. She has also attended a variety of officer and leadership conferences, was chapter reporter as a junior and taken part in competitions such as creed, job interview and extemporaneous speaking. Lopes plans to study ag communications in college with a minor in political science. Her FFA experiences, Lopes reflected, will have a lasting impact on her life. “FFA has made me realize what I can accomplish as an individual,” she commented. “It has completely changed the trajectory of my life.”
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B2 | WEST SIDE INDEX | GUSTINE PRESS• STANDARD
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2019
S A L U T I N G
NEWMAN FFA SOWING THE SEEDS OF SUCCESS
Elena Gonzales finds passion for ag, FFA
Elena Gonzales is the 2018-19 Newman FFA chapter president.
A delegation of visiting Newman FFA members to Yolo Middle School during Elena Gonzales’ eighth-grade year piqued her interest in the organization. Now, as a senior at Orestimba High, Gonzales is leading the chapter as its president. Her interest was sparked in large part by the realization that FFA would be an avenue which allowed her to raise animals, Gonzales recalled, but she soon came to understand that FFA opportunities expanded well beyond the livestock show ring. “Starting my freshman year, I realized that there is so much more to FFA that people don’t realize....the speaking competitions, the pathways they have, the ag industry that you are able to be a part of. That is what really made me interested,” Gonzales explained. Her love of animals was a perfect fit for FFA.
Gonzales raised a rabbit her freshman year, and as a junior showed a goat. She is raising a market goat project again this year for the county fair. “I fell in love with goats,” she said. “I like their attitude, and they are just so cute in general.” Gonzales is striving to improve on her showing at last year’s fair. “My goat didn’t place well last year, but I know where my mistakes were and I can hopefully do well at the fair this year,” the chapter president explained. Her FFA involvement goes well beyond livestock, however. Gonzales has been involved in dairy judging and livestock judging, took part in the creed and best informed greenhand competitions, was chapter secretary her junior year, has competed in opening and closing ceremonies competition for four years
and was a job interview competitor twice. She has also honed her leadership skills and has attended state conference. Gonzales was a member of the State FFA Band last year. Gonzales has gravitated toward the ag science classes at Orestimba. The science and technology aspects of the agricultural industry, she points out, are leading to new career opportunities. Her FFA involvement, she said, has also led to personal growth. “Without a doubt, I know that I came out of my shell,” Gonzales related. One of her goals as chapter president is to encourage other students to take advantage of the opportunities offered through FFA. “I have tried to get people excited to get into FFA. I don’t want them to be in (ag classes) just for the grade. I want them to find the passion that I found in my freshman
OHS sophomore Tristan reaping benefits of FFA Lia Tristan arrived at Orestimba High knowing little about agriculture and FFA. That’s changed. In less than two years on campus, the sophomore has accumulated an extensive resume of FFA involvement, developed an affinity for livestock projects and been actively involved in ag shop and science classes. FFA has cultivated new interests for Tristan, including an interest in livestock - particularly lambs. She raised a market lamb for the county fair last summer, and is doing so again this year. “Last year was my first time ever owning a livestock animal, and I found a passion for it,” Tristan told Mattos Newspapers. Showing for the first time was nerve-wracking, she acknowledged, but Tristan placed fourth in novice showmanship and is eager to hone her skills in the ring. “That is what got the ball rolling. I really enjoy being in the show ring,” she said. Tristan picked up her lamb for this year in January. She said she will show the lamb at several jackpot events before the fair, with the primary goal of fine-tuning her showmanship. Livestock projects repre-
sent a significant commitment, she noted. “Caring for a lamb is a lot of work. You have to feed twice a day, and I will spend a lot of time getting him ready for show day,” Tristan explained. “They grow wool really fast, so I have to sheer him every weekend before a show. It is a lot of work, but I love to be at the school farm and work with him. In raising a lamb, Tristan added, she also learned the importance of managing time and finances. Tristan is expanding her livestock interests this year, she added, and will also show a dairy heifer at this summer’s county fair. Her FFA involvement, however, goes well beyond the livestock arenas. She was on the Greenhand officer team, competed in opening/closing ceremonies and novice parliamentary procedure, and been involved in the veterinary science team. Tristan has also attended a number of conferences and events, including the state FFA convention, and hopes to go to the national FFA convention. “I have learned so much about leadership just from going to conferences,” she remarked. “I think FFA has really helped me with my
public speaking skills and leadership. I have made a lot of friends through FFA, and have learned a lot of responsibility. FFA has given me a lot of different social skills.” Tristan has also been enrolled in courses such as ag mechanics and plant science, which offer a variety of hands-on learning opportunities. In the school shops, for example, she learned welding, woodworking and more. “I would never have learned those skills without those classes,” Tristan said. She is currently the chapter reporter - and has her sights set on higher goals. “One of my biggest goals is to run for section office this year, then region, and if possible run for state office,” said Tristan, who is the daughter of Evelyn Tristan. She may very well pursue an ag-related career, Tristan commented, but even if life takes her down a different path she is confident that her FFA involvement and experiences will be beneficial. “I think FFA is a great program for anybody from any background,” she reflected. “FFA helps (instill) so many skills that you can use in the real world.”
year,” Gonzales told Mattos Newspapers. “I want them to go above and beyond the ag classes, and enjoy FFA.” Her own experiences reflect the diversity of the organization, Gonzales added. “It is so big and diverse.... it is so vast,” she said of FFA. “If you don’t like public speaking, you can raise an animal. If you don’t want to raise an animal, you can do the science realm.” Her ag teachers and FFA advisers have been role models, she added. Gonzales, the daughter of Katrina and Mark Gonzales, hopes to follow in their footsteps after attending Cal Poly. “As I started getting involved, I wanted to be like my ag teachers and help students through their four years of high school and realize their potential,” Gonzales said of her career choice.
Newman FFA members take part in ‘Super Day’ Ten Newman FFA members recently participated in the annual Tri-Rivers Section “Super Day” contest at Turlock High, where students competed in various public speaking events, including job interview, prepared public speaking, impromptu and creed. Students worked hard for many months in preparation for the competition, with hopes of moving on to the Central Region competition in March. Five Newman FFA members placed in their contest areas and will move on to represent the chapter at the region level. In prepared public speaking, Doreen Dyt placed first and Nicole Flanders was third. Diego Garcia placed first in impromptu public speaking, while Jazmin Rodriguez was fourth. Natalie Velasquez placed first in creed speaking. These students will work hard for the next month as they prepare to compete at the region level.
Lia Tristan is raising a lamb to show as an FFA project at the Stanislaus County Fair.
(Submitted by Lia Tristan, Newman FFA Chapter Reporter)
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WEST SIDE INDEX | GUSTINE PRESS• STANDARD | B3
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2019
Silva finds niche in sheep show ring Gustine FFA member Gannon Silva has earned a number of top honors in sheep show rings at county and state fairs, as well as on the jackpot circuit.
Gustine FFA member Gannon Silva has earned a number of accolades in the sheep show ring - and has his sights set on further accomplishments. Silva, a junior, showed a number of different animals as a 4-H member but has focused solely on sheep since joining the Gustine FFA chapter as a freshman (although he is planning to show a goat this year as well at the Spring Fair). In addition to showing at the county level, he is a regular (with success) on the jackpot show circuit and last year showed a reserve champion breed lamb at the California State Fair. He has shown other champions along the way, including the reserve FFA grand champion
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at last year’s Spring Fair in Los Banos. The jackpot shows are essentially open competition, Silva explained. “You get a lot of people there with really good animals,” he said. Silva also works on a local dairy managed by his father as a supervised ag experience project, and attended the national FFA convention last year. “I learn new things every day,” he said of his FFA experiences. But the sheep are his focus. Silva said he started breeding sheep about five years ago. “I bought a couple of ewes over time, started breeding them and stuck with it. Ev-
Newman FFA members, from left, Harrison Chang, Robert Shull and Frank Bettencourt cut an axle for the barbecue trailer they are building for the Newman Lions Club.
FFA helps smooth Newman FFA transition to high school members undertake for OHS freshman
ambitious project
Orestimba High freshman Adriana Gomez has found a niche on campus through her FFA involvement. Gomez credits the welcoming nature of the organization for helping smooth her transition to high school ranks, and said that her FFA interests have helped motivate her to be more engaged in school in general. “On the first day of school I was nervous to set foot in here, but in first period I had ag science and Mrs. Costilla was very welcoming,” Gomez recalled. “Everything in FFA is very welcoming and close, which has helped me feel more comfortable at school. You feel like you fit in.” Gomez, the daughter of Amber and Ramon Gomez, said FFA has already instilled in her a greater sense of responsibility. One of her first activities was taking part in the creed competition. “I didn’t place, but it gave me a good experience,” Go-
mez reported. “I wanted to participate in creed because I struggle with public speaking and being able to talk to people. That was an opportunity to come out of my shell, and I feel that it really helped me.” The chapter officer team has been extremely supportive and encouraging, she added. They were on hand at the “Super Day” competition to show their support. “They made an impact on me and made me feel comfortable. They motivated me,” Gomez told Mattos Newspapers. “I want to have that impact and influence on others.” Through her high school years, Gomez said, she plans to take advantage of as many FFA opportunities as possible. “When you have an opportunity like that, which you don’t get at every high school, it is one you should take,” she said of being an active FFA member.
A trio of Newman FFA members are tackling an ambitious project with a community service aspect. Seniors Harrison Chang and Frank Bettencourt and junior Robert Shull have agreed to build a heavy-duty, mobile barbecue unit for the Newman Lions Club. The trio, who have worked together on a number of shop improvements and various projects of smaller scale, will complete the barbecue trailer before the end of the school year and enter it as a Stanislaus County Fair project before turning the unit over to the Lions Club. “This is different than anything we have done before,” Bettencourt stated. The students indicated that they had toyed with the idea of building something of similar magnitude in the past but did not have the budget to do so. The Lions Club, they said,
had been asking Newman FFA to build a barbecue trailer, a deal was struck and the project is becoming reality. The students are literally taking the project from concept to reality. “We sat down during lunch one day and did the plans,” Bettencourt said. “We looked at some others, but it is really our design,” Chang commented. “We are adding a counter top to the back, with a cutting board, and hopefully cabinets as well.” The barbecue will have a four-foot by six-foot cooking area, and will weigh somewhere in the ballpark of 2,500 pounds, the students said. “It will be built to last,” Shull promised. Engineering the barbecue was no small task. “There is a lot more math involved in building a trailer” than in many other proj-
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ects, Chang noted. The students calculated their material needs with care, he added. “You don’t want to overbuy, because the club is paying for it,” he said of the roughly $2,500 project. “You don’t want to under-buy, because then you have to go back for more money.” And when the time comes to cut the components, precision is essential. “It has to be done right the first time,” Bettencourt remarked. “Measure five times, cut once,” Chang added. Chang said the trio is pleased to have the opportunity to build a barbecue
trailer for the Lions Club. And the club is equally happy that they will finally have a barbecue trailer of their own, said member RoseLee Hurst. “We have had to borrow trailers for our fund-raisers,” Hurst told Mattos Newspapers. “We invited them to the club, and they did a proposal for us in terms of what they could do.” The arrangement, she added, benefits all parties involved. “We can hire the students to do projects, and it gives them a real-life project to do,” Hurst commented. “That is why they were so excited about it.”
newman greenhand officer team
Newman FFA member Adriana Gomez is looking forward to the many opportunities the program has to offer through her four years of high school.
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ery year my sheep get better and better,” he commented. “Right now I run about 15 head of ewes.” Every year, he said, he tries to sell the older ones and keep the younger ones as he strives to improve the herd. “Sometimes it doesn’t go as planned, but you keep going,” said Silva, adding that he envisions himself continuing to raise sheep throughout his life. Silva, the son of Gary and Kim Silva, sets lofty goals for his animals as he pursues success in the show ring. “I have been around animals my whole life,” he commented. “I like showing animals, and I like to win. I breed to win.”
The Newman FFA Greenhand officer team for 2018-19 includes, from left, Melissa Quintero, historian; Bianca Buriel, treasurer; Leila Villarreal, vice president; Natalie Velasquez, president; Marina Freitas, secretary; Reagan Marroquin, reporter; and Mayra Hernandez, sentinel.
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B4 | WEST SIDE INDEX | GUSTINE PRESS• STANDARD
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2019
Gustine FFA members earn project comp honors Gustine FFA students participated in local and section project competition recently. On Nov. 28, eight Gustine FFA members participated in the Merced-Mariposa Section project competition event, in which students discuss their projects and demonstrate a specific skill related to their year-round project for judges. Students had the opportunity to showcase their projects such as livestock breeding, welding, woodworking, farming, ag-related job and more. After their demonstration, judges questioned each competitor about their project, record book and demonstration.
On Feb. 6, the section project competition banquet was held at the Merced County Fairgrounds. All eight of the Gustine FFA members, Clayton Alamo, Aubrie Hazan, Maddie Woods, Tyler Borba, Selina Lopes, Joseph Lopes, Taylor Botelho and Jeffrey Botelho, received Gold awards. Borba, Selina Lopes and Joseph Lopes each received a merit award, Woods was honored for having the outstanding junior project and Selina Lopes received a scholarship. (Submitted by Aubrie Hazan, Gustine FFA Chapter Reporter)
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Gustine FFA was well-represented at the recent Merced-Mariposa Section project competition. In front, from left, are adviser Sarah Thommen, Taylor Botelho, Maddie Woods, Aubrie Hazan, Selina Lopes and adviser Britney Thomas. In back, from left, are adviser Cameron Wyman, adviser Kelly Sanches, Jeffrey Botehlo, Joseph Lopes, Clayton Alamo, Tyler Borba and adviser Matt Baffunno.
Gustine FFA members take part in ‘Super Saturday’ Ten Gustine FFA members participated in the MercedMariposa Section “Super Saturday” public speaking event held Jan. 26 at Merced College. Two local members, Nicole Moitozo and Selina Lopes, will advance to the Central Region competition. Moitozo placed second in the job interview contest to advance, while Lopes was third in extemporaneous speaking to move on to the region event. Two freshmen Gustine FFA members earned top 10 placings in the creed contest. Joseph Lopes placed seventh, while Savannah Barcellos finished 10th.
Nunes savors FFA experiences A Gustine FFA member who followed the footsteps of two older sisters has built her own impressive resume of achievements through the organization. Senior Jillian Nunes, who has been involved in FFA all four of her years at Gustine High, is an accomplished dairy showman who has also been involved in numerous other FFA activities. Nunes, the daughter of Alfred and Lucy Nunes, comes from an ag background and knew that she would be active in FFA when reaching high school. She has made the most of those opportunities, particularly through her last three years at GHS. Dairy has been a central theme for Nunes, who comes from a dairy family. She has shown dairy projects each of her four years in FFA, and has also been a member of the chapter’s dairy judging team each year. “I made it to round-robin showmanship, so I had a chance to show other animals,” Nunes noted. “It just made my passion for dairy stronger. I didn’t feel the passion (toward other species) that I feel toward dairy.” Her FFA interests go well beyond the dairy arena, however. Nunes discovered an affinity for floral design while taking a floral class at the high school, and is involved in a floral club. “I am very creative. I like
to show my artistic side, but I can’t draw so I thought I would take floral instead,” she explained. “I ended up really enjoying it. I have even considered it as a career path on a part-time basis.” In addition to her dairy projects, Nunes said, she has shown floral arrangements and a wooden bird house through FFA. Her FFA involvement also includes attending the state convention three times, participating in leadership conferences, competing in creed and opening/closing ceremonies competitions as a freshman and more. She was the chapter’s 2018 sweetheart, achieving one of her FFA goals by earning that title. Nunes has twice attended the FFA’s national convention, ranking those trips among her most memorable FFA experiences. The convention brings together FFA members from across the nation who forge friendships while learning from one another about agriculture in different regions, she said. A highlight of last fall’s convention was an address by President Donald Trump. “We were very excited to see him and listen to him explain what he was trying to do for the ag industry,” Nunes related. “FFA has taken me all the way to Indiana and Kentucky,” she added. “My other clubs are good at teaching you how to be a leader, but
Jillian Nunes found a love of floral design through her involvement with Gustine FFA. FFA has given me the broadest opportunities.” Her FFA involvement, Nunes reflected, has instilled confidence, leadership traits and public speaking skills which will serve her well in college and beyond as she pursues a career in education. And, Nunes concluded, she is proud to be a member
of the well-known Gustine chapter. “When I go represent the Gustine FFA name, people know that we have a good chapter with amazing ag teachers behind us,” she commented. “I feel there is definitely a pride in being able to say that this is my chapter, and these are my ag teachers.”
Greenhand president looks forward to FFA opportunities
In addition, the section proficiency contest was judged that day. Darren Borba won the ag services proficiency award and will also move on to the regional competitions, which will be held in midMarch. “Super Saturday was such a great experience,” Barcellos reported, adding that the experience built her public speaking confidence. “I enjoyed participating in the creed competition, and look forward to the public speaking competitions to come in my future with the FFA.” (Submitted by Aubrie Hazan, Gustine FFA Chapter Reporter)
Natalie Velasquez is Greenhand president for the Newman FFA.
Orestimba freshman Natalie Velasquez is looking forward to the FFA opportunities in her future - and has wasted no time getting involved in the organization. Velasquez is the Newman FFA chapter’s Greenhand president this year, leading the freshman officer team in a variety of activities. “My older sister was very involved in FFA. When I was younger I saw her (in FFA activities) and I wanted to try it as well,” Velasquez shared. She has already gotten a taste of what FFA has to offer by taking part in the opening/closing ceremonies and creed competitions. More is in store for the first-year member. “This year I am hoping to raise a lamb for the fair,” Velasquez explained. “I want to be able to do more competitions in future years, and to be part of the chapter officer team. I also hope to go to the national convention this year.” Her sister also raised lambs for the county fair, Velasquez noted, and she
enjoyed helping out with the animal. She has further researched lambs as she prepares to raise her own, Velasquez said, which has only increased her interest in the livestock project. As Greenhand president, Velasquez is already working to promote FFA. “I try to set the tone that FFA is about so much more than raising animals,” she said. “As an officer team, we try to get our fellow freshmen more involved in FFA.” The Greenhand officers have also been shadowing chapter officers, Velasquez noted. In April, she said, the Greenhand team will conduct the chapter meeting. “I’m very nervous,” she admitted. Velasquez, the daughter of Josefina Velasquez, hopes to attend Fresno State and become an ag teacher. In the meantime, though, she plans to complete a full four years of being an active, involved FFA member at Orestimba.
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Ten Gustine FFA members competed in the section “Super Saturday” recently. Gustine was represented by, from left, Patrick Broderick, Selina Lopes, Clayton Alamo, Nicole Moitozo, Tyler Borba, Janai Navarro, Joseph Lopes, Savannah Barcellos, Hunter Silva and Lalanie Brace.
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Gustine FFA member Darren Borba won the section ag services proficiency award and will advance to regional competition.
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