Area 31 Horticulture Students Excel at Statewide Competition

Please join us in congratulating the Area 31 Horticulture Science students for their outstanding performance at the FFA Horticulture Career Development Event (CDE) held at Purdue University.

Representing Decatur Central High School were Madeleine Colbert and Taralyn Sowell; from Ben Davis High School, competitors included Bryce Johnson, Pamela Perez, and Alexa Tejada; and from Avon High School, Kaitin Cozzolino.

The Area 31 Horticulture Team placed 5th out of 69 teams statewide, an impressive achievement showcasing their hard work, technical knowledge, and teamwork! Special congratulations go to Madeleine Colbert, who placed 7th overall out of 214 students and earned the highest score of all competitors on the written test.

During the event, students demonstrated their skills through plant identification, specimen evaluation, and a written exam covering topics such as plant propagation and landscaping. They also enjoyed an educational tour of Purdue’s Agricultural Mall and Horticulture Greenhouse Complex, gaining firsthand insights into careers in plant science and horticulture.

We are incredibly proud of our students’ accomplishments and the way they represented Area 31 Career Center. Their dedication to learning and excellence in the field of horticultural science truly blossomed at this year’s competition!