Twenty- three students packed their suitcases for a six hour drive to travel to Anaheim, California. There held the annual California State FFA Convention. There were three students that made it to state for proficiency in swine, a scholarship finalist, and a speaking competition.

Janie Chapin was once of three scholarship finalists for the My Job Depends on Ag Scholarship. She did an amazing job going through multiple interviews in order to be a finalist. Macie McPeak has had a long journey to have the opportunity to compete in state for a speaking competition called impromptu.

Alyssa Donich had put countless hours working with her pigs, logging every expense and hour spent, as well as making presentations and preparing for interviews in order to qualify and get to the state level. As she stood on the stage, her name was called, and Alyssa Donich won the state award for her swine proficiency and will now continue on to nationals. There she will compete with others across the entire nation.

“It felt good because I know all the hard work I put in the project has shown in what I did… I wouldn’t have had this opportunity without my ag teachers,” junior Alyssa Donich said.

At this convention, Ripon’s two delegates, Janie Chapin and Madison Hoogendoorn, had the opportunity to vote on California’s new officer team and vote on new propositions and amendments to the California State FFA IDKWIC. The other Ripon FFA members attended multiple workshops to grow to be a better leader. There are also workshops to help us find ways to grow our chapter and improve our publicity. Ripon’s 2019 California FFA State Convention was definitely a success!

“Someone with true intelligence will never want to stop learning and expanding their knowledge which is what agriculture education allows us to do,” senior Janie Chapin said.