Bridget Levine, 17, of Allentown, established a productive flock of laying hens, which helped her earn New Jersey FFA’s Outstanding Member of the Month award. ALLENTOWN- Bridget Levine, a senior atAllentownHigh School, recently earned accolades from the New Jersey FFA for her continuing interest in agriculture.
The 17-year-old Allentown resident has been an FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) member for four years and is the president of her chapter. She was selected as New Jersey FFA’s Outstanding Member of theMonth for December 2007.
To meet the supervised agricultural experience requirement for the award, Bridget undertook three projects.Hermost recent endeavor included establishing a small, productive flock of laying hens. The project taught her about the various aspects of poultry management including nutrition and housing. Bridget donated the eggs produced to a local food bank and to friends and neighbors.
Bridget has been amember of three FFA committees since becoming an FFAmember. Her participation in state contests over the years also brought her several awards in events such as Fruit and Vegetable Identification, FloralDesign andAgricultural Issues.
Bridgetwon theNewJersey State Secretary award in 2007 andwas awarded a silver medal at theNational FFAConvention inOctober as part of theAgricultural Issues team representing New Jersey.
Jacque Roszel, one of theAllentown FFA advisers atAllentownHigh School, saidBridget is “a dedicated member who has developed her leadership skills through active participation in the FFA.”
“Bridget will be successful in life because she knows the value of hard work and dedication,” Roszel said. “She hasmade a positive difference inmany lives.”
Bridget said, “The FFA has definitely changed my life. I have learned invaluable skills through it, such as leadership, public speaking and teamwork.”
Her future plans include attending college inVermont andmajoring in biology,with a goal of becoming a veterinarian like her father and grandfather.
The FFA is a national organization of more than 495,000 students in 7,242 local chapters for students enrolled in agricultural education. FFA activities and award programs complement classroom instruction in 37 New Jersey high school agriculture and agriscience programs. Students gain practical experience from their activities in the classroom and through supervised agricultural projects. FFA helps students by developing their potential for leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education, according to information fromthe FFA.