Six students from the Capital Area Career Center went to the FFA state convention at Michigan State University and competed in the Arthur Berkey Agriscience Fair on March 9-10, 2016.
Three of the students won gold medals in the statewide science competition, qualifying them for the FFA national science fair in October. The nationals will be held in Indianapolis, IN.
They are all students in the Capital Area Career Center's new BioScience Careers program. This was the program's first year sending students to the science fair competition.
Marah Maher, a junior from Williamston earned a gold medal in Division in the Environmental Services/Natural Resources Systems category. Maher’s project studied the antimicrobial properties of different essential oils, especially the effect on common bacteria such as E-coli or Staphylococcus. In Division 4, Chandler Hendrickson, a junior from Stockbridge, and Alaina Kioski-Stanley, a senior from Williamston, also earned gold medals. Their project looked at different species of tree leaves to determine which type of leaf could produce the most ethanol as an advanced biofuel.
The BioScience Careers program uses new technology and equipment to offer students a wide variety of career choices, from veterinary medicine to microbiology. Students learn about various subject matters, including food safety, DNA technology, plant science, and biofuels.
Career opportunities in agriculture and food science are expected to rise 9% through 2022, and veterinary technologists and technicians will see a 37% boost in jobs in their fields.
