State FFA Sentinel Spreads the Message of Inclusiveness in Agriculture

By Tim Hammerich, with the Ag Information Network of the West

Maico Ortiz from Galt was elected State FFA Sentinel last month. For the first time, the association had to move their elections online due to COVID-19 restrictions. Throughout his year of service, the newly elected state officer hopes to spread the message of inclusiveness.

“Inclusiveness is something that has really just stuck with me. At Galt High, we were very adamant about making sure everybody felt included and making sure everybody felt like they had a home in the ag department. And I know California FFA has done a ton of work in terms of moving into that direction, Ortiz said. But we also have a lot of work to do, and that’s okay because I mean, not everything’s going to happen overnight. But, we offer so many pathways for students in order for them to find a career or be successful. I was very attracted to the science aspect of it and the leadership aspect of it, but we have mechanics, we have horticulture,” he noted.

 “There’s just so many different parts of it that students can really find their passions within it,” Ortiz.  “So I want to make sure that students always know they have a home in their ag departments or in the association as a whole and to make sure that they find their passions and regardless of what they decide to do after high school, that they can always look back on their time and be like, that was worth it, And I’m happy that I got to be a part of it,” he said

Ortiz, who is already a student at Chico State, will take the year off from college to serve the youth agricultural leadership organization.