CTAHR was well represented at the Oʻahu District FFA Career Development Event (CDE) Competition held December 14 at Kāhala Elementary School. The event was led by Alexis "Koko" Jinbo-Doran, the FFA advisor at Kalani High School. One hundred forty-eight students and 26 guests were in attendance from across the island. FFA members competed in public speaking, parliamentary procedure, and knowledge contests.
Participating CTAHR faculty included Rheta Kuwahara (Instructor, Dept. of Family and Consumer Sciences), who judged the Prepared Public Speaking contest; Alberto Ricordi (Extension Agent, Dept. of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences), who judged the Floriculture contest; Jeremy Elliott-Engel (Associate Dean for Cooperative Extension), who judged the FFA Creed contest; and Catherine Chan (Interim Associate Dean for Academics), who judged the Parliamentary Procedure contest. Also representing CTAHR’s Academic and Student Affairs Office was Student Recruitment Assistant Michelle Au.
Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke gave opening remarks to the crowd. She relayed a message of the importance of Hawaiʻi becoming self-reliant for food production because it is a way to diversify the economy, foster economic resilience, spread economic prosperity across the state, and improve nutrition and health for everyone in Hawai’i. She also spoke directly to the students about the importance of their involvement in programs like FFA where they learn how to conduct and organize business, through contests like Parliamentary Procedure, and to excel in public speaking.
Dr. Elliott-Engel explained, “In conversations, FFA members shared their high-school research projects that were really interesting, from environmental issues such as microplastics, to assessing our current food import levels, to the effect of sea-water incursion on plant growth and development.” He went on to say, “I fully expected amazing young people at this event, but, even still, I am continuously reminded how engaged young people are in the issues of today and their desire to find solutions.”