LIHU‘E — Four Kaua‘i High School students from the school’s Future Farmers of America will be joining a group of about 50 people from Hawai‘i at the national FFA convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, starting on Oct. 29 and wrapping up on Nov. 5.
The Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau, at its Monday Pau Hana Market held in collaboration with the Kukui Grove Center, presented the students and their advisor, Christina Martiney, a scholarship of $2,000, or $500 per student, to enable the students to travel and participate in the national convention.
“Thank you so much,” said Martiney, a recipient of an earlier KCFB scholarship that helped her continue her post-high school study in Plant Pathology. “This is so much appreciated. It’s what makes it possible for these students to travel because most of their families don’t have the resources to enable their students to travel.”
The students earned the honor of traveling to the national convention after successfully participating in the state FFA convention held earlier in the year on O‘ahu. They will join other students, including some as young as middle school-aged youths and their teacher/chaperones in Indiana.
During the state convention, Martiney said the students participated in a floriculture practicum that included a mathematics component trying to demonstrate knowledge of the business side of floriculture based on a specific scenario, as well as plant and tool identification.
“For nationals, it is much more intensive with creating a floral design, creating a corsage, several practicums similar to states, as well as plant disorders, plant and tool identification,” Martiney said. “It’s a whole new set of plants based on mainland uses, and these island girls will be challenged with having to use mainland plants that they’re not familiar with.”
The four students making the mainland trip along with Martiney include Zariah Bukoski, Olivia Bukoski, Keahe Domingcil and Kayla Rivera.
“I don’t know if I want to become a floriculturist (following school),” said Rivera. “But it’s a good option.”
Laurie Ho, president of the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau, said it was a pleasure to inform Martiney, especially since she was a former KCFB scholarship recipient, of the school students’ accomplishments.
