Before the 2024-2025 school year, Canyon Ridge High School hired Mrs. Brianna Leavitt to start a new FFA chapter and teach agriculture science classes. According to FFA’s official website, FFA is “an intracurricular student organization for those interested in agriculture and leadership.” The FFA chapter at CRHS currently has twelve members, and has competed in fourteen different competitions this school year.

FFA, standing for Future Farmers of America, is a national student organization that aims to teach students about agriculture and the different jobs in the industry and help them gain leadership skills.  Mrs. Leavitt described FFA as a “student organization that anyone can join. The only requirements are taking one ag class a school year and paying your dues.” Dues are a payment to the association to help pay for competition.

Canyon Ridge currently offers Intro to Agriculture Industry, Applied Livestock Management, Small Animal Management, and Occupation and Career Experience. Mrs. Leavitt plans on adding Livestock Management and Vet Science in the coming years. 

There are six main leadership positions FFA students can run for: the president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, reporter, and the sentinel. The president of the Canyon Ridge chapter, sophomore Nevaeh Ramirez, explained that “FFA, for me, is a really good way to expand my leadership skills.” Ramirez continued, “We get to go compete against other schools and then make friends at other schools. It’s a lot of fun.” 

FFA chapters enter different competitions and attend special events where students are able to travel to different schools to compete. Competitions are based on career and leadership development. Mrs. Leavitt states that their competitions range from prepared speaking and parliamentary procedure to livestock judging and floriculture. Contests can qualify for nationals.

CRHS’ FFA chapter has currently competed in a soil, rangeland, and job interview contest. They have also competed at the District Livestock Contest. Mrs Leavitt stated, “We are placing in the middle, which is great because this is a brand new program.”

Sophomore Ally Picket, the FFA treasurer, said, “[competition] was fun, interesting, and really cool. I gotta be around animals, which is what I love.”