One basket, a few ingredients, 40 minutes on the clock. With all of these things, a team of three to five members must create a dish, a cost analysis, a list of its nutritional value, and present the final dish to a panel of judges. Through Texas 4-H, junior Hannah Czajkowski has been given the opportunity to compete in the 4-H Food Challenge and even make it as far as the State 4-H Food Challenge Contest, and winning the National 4-H Food Challenge Contest in October with two other team members.

Early mornings in the barn cleaning and feeding. Watching the sun rise over the trees no matter the weather. Taking care of livestock requires commitment and responsibility. Sophomore Wilsey Wendler has found success in showing steers as an activity which has been passed down from generation to generation.

The FFA Ag Mechanics team competed in Huntsville and earned 3rd as a team. There were also 2 top ten individuals, Garrett Rathjen (8th) and Kylar Wilkinson (9th). Garrett Browning and Cedric Johnson also participated. The team will participate in the state competition in May.

When agriculture classes are introduced to students, the initial thought may be that it teaches how to farm, but opposed to that common belief, many ag classes offer much more, from giving students an opportunity to show their own steers and heifers to teaching them skills that are essential to everyday life as adults. Ag also has support organizations, such as 4-H, which is a youth mentoring organization, and FFA, which is a guide to careers and future endeavours. In and out of school, freshman Wilsey Wendler is a prime example of a dedicated and enthusiastic member of the agriculture organization.

Bright, blinding lights illuminate the cement hallways of the arena as you make your way to the main floor. “How do I look good enough?” “Have I eaten enough?” “Have I eaten too much?” “What if I don’t get picked during the first round?” “What if I make it to the second round, but the judges don’t like me on the second look?” All of these thoughts surround you as you make it to the dirt floor of the venue, tugging your steer along as he’s making weird noises.