Montrose FFA students Mason Kinser and Heidi Castro oversee the FFA booth at the Montrose County Event Center for the MEDC and MCSD Business and STEMposium Expo on Nov. 6. (Cassie Knust | MBT)

Montrose High School’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter advocated for agricultural awareness and career pathways at last week’s 7th Annual MEDC Business Showcase and MCSD STEMposium, an educational event hosted at the Montrose County Event Center.

The showcase, a partnership between the Montrose County School District (MCSD) and the Montrose Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), assembled MCSD students and local manufacturing businesses, offering students the chance to demonstrate knowledge developed through the district’s STEM programs, including agricultural sciences.

Montrose FFA members Heidi Castro and Mason Kinser discussed how their involvement in FFA impacted their career aspirations. The students emphasized the importance of understanding natural resource and where our food comes from.

“Nothing originates in a factory,” Castro told the Montrose Business Times. “It’s all either grown or raised, and then it goes to the stores.” Castro added that FFA classes offer an “aggregate learning” approach that connects everyday consumption to agricultural roots.

Kinser, who was raised on a farm, noted that his involvement in FFA and the classes within the program helped him realize he wanted to pursue a career as a veterinarian.

“A lot of people just think, ‘Oh, it comes from the store,’” Kinser said. “Knowing where your stuff comes from and being more engaged with agriculture is really valuable.”

The Business Showcase and STEMposium is another branch of MCSD’s growing Career Pathways initiative, a push to encourage students to think about what a future career could look like on a local level. Part of this push includes connecting local professionals with students, offering opportunities to apply practical knowledge to real-world scenarios alongside their courses.