Ramona High School’s Agriculture Department and FFA students have wrapped up a standout spring season with state championships, top individual finishes, leadership honors and hands-on community outreach.
With more than 500 students enrolled in agriculture classes, nearly one-third of the student population, the program continues to be one of the largest, most active and award-winning organizations on campus.
“This was basically just our April,” said Ramona High ag teacher Arlene Peck while going over the list of accomplishments, including judging team success, public speaking contests, welding competitions, leadership honors, officer positions and state finals.
The biggest achievement of the year was Ramona FFA’s Agriculture Pest Control team winning the California State Championship at the Fresno Field Day and State Finals held April 18 at Cal State Fresno.
“The contest challenged students on their ability to identify agricultural pests, classify insects, recognize destructive stages and explain agricultural impacts,” Peck said. “Competitors also delivered oral presentations on beneficial insects, invasive pests and vertebrate pests.”
The championship team consisted of seniors Kaitlyn Peck and Harmony Painter along with sophomores Madeline Kennedy and Mackenzie Franey. All four team members placed in the Top 10 individually at the state competition, with Painter finishing fourth.
Ramona students were also successful in the Ag Welding and Mechanics competitions throughout the spring.
At the 2026 Agricultural Welding State Finals, held April 25 at Merced College, senior Austin Fulghum placed third in the Skills and Knowledge Division, while senior Eythan Browning earned eighth-place in the same category among 71 competitors from across the state.
Ramona High’s 2026 State Ag Welding Team consisted of seniors Eythan Browning and Austin Fulghum, along with juniors Cash Jordison and Bently Flynn.
In the Tool ID competition, Browning got second place, Fulghum placed third and junior Cash Jordison finished 10th, helping the team place sixth overall in the state finals.
The Small Engines Team also competed at Cal State Fresno, where senior Chase Nickens earned third high individual honors and helped lead Ramona to a sixth-place overall finish in the state competition.
The team consisted of seniors Chase Nickens and Elias LeBlanc, along with junior Robert Roed.
Ramona High School senior Chase Nickens poses with Ramona High School Agriculture and Welding Advisor Curtis Martineau at the California FFA State Leadership Conference after earning the State Proficiency Award in Agricultural Mechanics Repair and Maintenance Placement. (Courtesy Ramona FFA)
Nickens was awarded the State Proficiency title in the Agriculture Mechanics Repair and Maintenance Placement proficiency category after advancing as the first-place winner in both the San Diego Section and Southern Region levels.
“The proficiency is a capstone that very few students get to achieve. It complies all four years in FFA, looking at student’s monthly journal entries, financial entries and learning outcomes,” Ramona High agriculture and welding adviser Curtis Martineau said. “They have to complete an online journal and multiple essay questions with photos for their project. They get interviewed with industry partners at the State FFA conference.
“Chase has worked hard to get the state winner and has shown tremendous growth in these 4 years,” Martineau said.
Browning won the San Diego section and Southern Region proficiency award in Agriculture Mechanics Design and Fabrication for a large dump trailer project as well as other welding projects that won recognition over the summer at the 2025 San Diego County Fair and 2025 Ramona Junior Fair.
Ramona FFA students excelled in leadership and public speaking competitions this season.
Sophomore Madeline Kennedy advanced to the state finals in Impromptu Public Speaking and finished fourth in California after qualifying through the Southern Region competition. The event requires students to draw a topic and deliver a speech with only minutes to prepare.
Senior Kaitlyn Peck also advanced to the state level after placing fourth in the regional Prepared Public Speaking competition with her speech, “Regenerative Agriculture: Combating Climate Change Through Carbon Sequestration.”
Other regional public speaking finalists included freshman Lyla Chase in the Creed Speaking contest and Nickens in the Job Interview category.
Ramona students were also elected to leadership officer positions within the FFA organization.
For the 2025-26 school year, senior Kaitlyn Peck served as the San Diego Section Secretary while senior Sherlyn Sanchez served as the San Diego Section Sentinel.
For the upcoming school year, sophomore Madeline Kennedy will serve as the Southern Region Vice President representing the San Diego Section and Ramona High and junior Alexsa Shenouda has been elected the San Diego Secretary for the 2026-27 school year.
Ramona High School FFA members who earned their California State FFA Degree are recognized at the California FFA State Leadership Conference. Back row: John Kuhn, Chase Nickens (2025 State FFA Degree recipient) and Thomas Wilson. Front row: Kaitlyn Peck, Madeline Kennedy (Ramona FFA support member), Jaden Merten and Alexsa Shenouda. Not pictured: Leila Harp, Sherlyn Sanchez, Charlotte Nasco, Jacob Parker, Giuliana Pekelder, Dylan Peterson and Kinlee Sargent. (Courtesy Ramona FFA)
The chapter also celebrated 11 California FFA State Degree recipients this year, one of the highest honors awarded by the California FFA Association. Ramona’s 2026 State Degree recipients included seniors Leila Harp, Sherlyn Sanchez and John Kuhn; and juniors Jaden Merten, Charlotte Nasco, Jacob Parker, Giuliana Pekelder, Dylan Peterson, Kinlee Sargent, Alexsa Shenouda and Thomas Wilson.
The chapter’s growth also extended to Olive Peirce Middle School FFA program, which launched this year with more than 30 members. Students earned a Top 5 finish in the Novice Division of a public speaking contest, participated in livestock projects, online judging contests and horse judging. Next year, the program will add its own officer team and recently received a new greenhouse to support hands-on agricultural education.
Ramona High School students, senior Kaitlyn Peck and sophomores Robin Moore and Danny Cromwell, present to Transitional Kindergarten and kindergarten students from Ramona elementary schools during the chapter’s first-ever Elementary Farm Day, held May 6–7 at the school farm. (Courtesy Ramona FFA)
Beyond competition success, Ramona FFA students focused on agricultural education and community outreach through the chapter’s first-ever Elementary Farm Day held May 6 and 7 at the school farm.
Several Ramona elementary schools Transitional-Kindergarten and kindergarten students visited the farm and rotated through hands-on learning stations that included cattle, sheep and goats, swine, greenhouse activities and agricultural mechanics demonstrations.
Students planted sunflower seeds to take home while learning about livestock, farming and agriculture from Ramona FFA members.
While celebrating a successful 2025–26 school year, Ramona FFA members are already preparing for a busy summer season that includes agricultural mechanics projects, landscape design exhibits and livestock competitions at both the San Diego County Fair and the Ramona Junior Fair.
Ramona FFA will also showcase a student-designed landscape exhibit at the San Diego County Fair.
“We are incredibly proud of our members and the way they have embraced the many leadership opportunities offered through FFA this year,” said Dani Upson, Ramona High agriculture adviser. “Their dedication, hard work, and willingness to step outside their comfort zones have led to tremendous growth and success.”