BLINN’S AG SCIENCES PROGRAM TAKES TOP HONORS

KWHI April 27, 2016

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Blinn College’s Agricultural Sciences Program recently took home top honors at the Texas Junior College Agricultural Association (TJCAA) Convention.

Blinn placed first in eight of the convention’s 15 contests, including sweepstakes, public relations and outstanding chapter. Kelsey White (Alvin) was named the most outstanding student at the convention and Cassidy Leamon (Bremond) placed second, while Jenna Hein (Sealy) placed first in public speaking, Ale Ortiz (Houston) was first in job interview and Madeline Runner (Sealy) placed first in horticulture and wildlife.

“Every student at Blinn wants to do well at the convention,” White said. “Honestly, my goal was to become the most outstanding student and it took a lot of hard work in and out of the classroom to achieve it.”

White plans to attend Texas A&M University in the fall and study agricultural economics. The outstanding student at the TJCAA is awarded a $2,000 scholarship.

“The outstanding chapter award is something that I am most proud of because it proves to me that as a service organization that we are getting our kids out there,” said Bryn Behnke, assistant dean for the Division of Agricultural & Natural Sciences.

Students from Blinn’s Brenham, Bryan and Sealy campuses all participated in the convention.

Students compete in categories such as job interview, scrapbook competition, public relations, prepared speaking and outstanding student. The outstanding chapter award is presented to the chapter that has documented the most community service throughout the year. Students are also quizzed on wildlife, entomology, equine science, animal science, horticulture, agronomy, agricultural economics and agricultural mechanics.

Blinn’s Agricultural Sciences Program enrolls almost 800 students – making it roughly four times the size of any other two-year agricultural program in the state. Blinn offers agricultural science classes on all its campuses, with the W.J. “Bill” Rankin Agricultural Complex in Brenham serving as the program’s hub.

In addition to its excellence in the classroom, Blinn offers extracurricular educational activities in the areas of livestock judging, agriculture club, wildlife, agriculture mechanics, horticulture and agriculture sciences.

In February, the program was presented the Washington Soil and Water Conservation District 2016 Friend of Conservation Award in recognition to its commitment to agricultural education and community service.

For more information about Blinn’s Agricultural Sciences Program, visit: www.blinn.edu/agriculture/.

Awards

Sweepstakes