AVHS FFA UPDATE 2024-2025 

We were excited to share highlights from the speech presented at the AVUSD Board Meeting by FFA student Isabella O’Hara, celebrating the incredible growth and success of the Apple Valley High School Agriculture Program:

Our Ag program thrived, offering hands-on, real-world experiences in animal care, plant science, and agricultural leadership. This year, AVHS students raised:

• 15 lambs

• 3 steers

• 10 calves

• 36 pigs

• 15 turkeys

• 4 pens of meat birds
  
  

These Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects taught students animal husbandry, business management, and responsibility. In spring, 60 students exhibited animals at the SBC Fair (May 24–June 1), while others grew and sold plants at our annual banquet.

Thanks to the leadership of Mrs. Pierson, our program expanded significantly. Students participated in FFA leadership conferences at the chapter, section, region, state, and national levels.

Highlights this year included:
🏅 A top 4 national placement in Sheep Production Proficiency
🏅 A 2nd place finish at the CA State level in Diversified Livestock Production
🎤 Regional qualification in Creed and Impromptu speaking
🌟 A candidate for California State FFA Office
🚜 A field trip to Apricot Lane Farm to study regenerative farming
🎓 12 students attended the 2025 State FFA Convention in Sacramento

FFA at AVHS was more than raising animals—it was about leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, and preparing for future careers in agriculture and beyond. Students also fundraised through Tri-Tip dinners and other events to support program accessibility.

Our chapter’s journey was shared on Instagram: @applevalley_ffa

We are grateful to AVUSD and our community for supporting agricultural education at AVHS. Together, we strengthened the future of agriculture! 

AVHS attends FFA Nationals, October 2024

Apple Valley High School (AVHS) is proud to announce that five students from its Animal Science Pathway, all serving as FFA officers, attended the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, from October 22-26, 2024. This marked an exciting milestone for the AVHS FFA program, which will be represented on the national stage for the first time in several years.

A special highlight of the event was the participation of AVHS FFA alumni Lawson Secord, class of 2024, who is one of only four students in the nation that competed for the prestigious Proficiency Award in Sheep Production. This highly competitive award recognizes excellence in sheep production and management, and Lawson’s achievement has been years in the making. After winning first place at the California State FFA Convention in April, Lawson competed at the national level, placing top four in the nation.

Lawson, who is currently attending Fresno State and majoring in Animal Science with a specialization in Pre-Veterinary studies, began his sheep production project well before high school. His dedication and hard work over the years have culminated in this incredible opportunity to compete for top honors on a national stage. Joining him will be Jennifer Pierson, AVHS’s agriculture teacher, who has been instrumental in guiding the FFA program in her second year at the school. Her leadership and mentorship have been pivotal to the success of both Lawson and the Animal Science Pathway students.

Additionally, retired agriculture teacher Duane Penfold, who taught at AVHS for 40 years and was Lawson’s 9th-grade teacher, will also attend the event to support the AVHS team. Duane’s long-standing contributions to agricultural education have left a lasting impact on the school and the broader community.

"We are incredibly proud to have our students and alumni representing Apple Valley High School at such a prestigious event," said Gretchen Peratt, CTE Coordinator at AVHS. "Lawson’s accomplishments, being one of four in the nation, and the hard work of our FFA student officer team, reflect the strength of our Animal Science Pathway and the dedication of our staff and students."

Apple Valley High School offers 15 different Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways, including Animal Science, which prepares students with industry-specific skills and knowledge before graduation. AVHS’s commitment to providing students with hands-on, real-world experiences continues to foster success both in and out of the classroom.

SkillsUSA Results from the State Conference, 2024 -2025

SkillsUSA Results from the Regional Conference, 2024 -2025

We are thrilled to announce the incredible results from this year’s 2024-25 SkillsUSA Regional Competition! Our CTE students have once again demonstrated their hard work, dedication, and exceptional talent on a competitive stage — and the results speak for themselves.

Total Medals Earned: 140

 Gold: 57

 Silver: 49

 Bronze: 34

Advanced to State (ATS): 62

Total Sundevils Advancing to State: 202

Total Students Who Participated in Regionals: 289

This is an outstanding accomplishment — not only did 62 of our students qualify for the state competition, but earning 140 medals out of 289 participants is an incredible success rate! Even more impressive — 202 Sundevils will be heading to state, which means 69% of our students advanced!

The SkillsUSA State Competition will be held in Ontario, CA from April 10-13, 2025. At the state level, our students will be competing against the top CTE students from across California.

Students who place first at state will advance to the SkillsUSA National Competition in Atlanta, Georgia this June, where they will have the opportunity to compete against the best in the nation.

A huge thank you to our dedicated CTE teachers who guided and supported our students through this process. Your hard work and expertise are truly making a difference in the lives of our students and setting them up for success in their future careers.

SkillsUSA Results from Nationals, 2023-2024

Apple Valley, Calif.-- Apple Valley Unified School District (AVUSD) is proud to announce the exceptional achievements of 19 students who competed at the national SkillsUSA competition held in Atlanta, Georgia, from June 24-29, 2024. This year, 18 students from Apple Valley High School (AVHS) and one student from Granite Hills High School (GHHS) represented the district on a national stage, showcasing their skills and dedication in a variety of technical fields.

A highlight of the competition was Kara Sanchez from AVHS, who earned a Bronze Medal in Practical Nursing, placing 3rd in the nation. Kara's podium finish at the closing ceremonies was an outstanding accomplishment, bringing great pride to AVHS and the entire district.

Additionally, six AVHS students achieved top 10 placements in their respective competitions, a remarkable achievement that underscores the quality of the CTE programs at AVHS:

- Kara Sanchez  

  Competition: Practical Nursing  

  Teacher: AVHS, Arredondo  

  Result: 3rd place (Bronze Medal) out of 5 entries  

  Score: 55.15%

- Nayelli Vargas  

  Competition: Medical Assisting  

  Teacher: AVHS, Arredondo  

  Result 4th place out of 13 entries  

  Score: 82.90%

- Mellonie Alexander-Wade  

  Competition: Job Skill Demo Open  

  Teacher: AVHS, Arredondo  

  Result: 6th place out of 20 entries  

  Score: 97.15%

-Kaleb James Manahl  

  Competition: Action Skills  

  Teacher: AVHS, Ostlie  

  Result: 8th place out of 13 entries  

  Score: 93%

- Taylor Fore 

  Competition: Nurse Assisting  

  Teacher: AVHS, Arredondo  

  Result: 9th place out of 28 entries  

  Score: 82.85%

- Skye Becks

  Competition: Graphic Communications  

 Teacher: AVHS, Watson  

  Result: 9th place out of 14 entries  

  Score: 73.10%

Reflecting on her students’ success, Mrs. Arredondo, who coached all four of her students, who placed in the top 10 finishers including the bronze medalist, said, "Seeing my students excel at the national level is incredibly rewarding. Each of them demonstrated tremendous dedication and skill. Kara's bronze medal and the top 10 finishes of Mellonie, Nayelli, and Taylor are testaments to their hard work. I'm beyond proud of what they've accomplished."

Here are the other results of AVUSD students who participated in the national SkillsUSA competition:

- Ethan Aschenbrenner  

  Competition: CNC Programmer  

  Teacher: AVHS, Hoegerman  

  Result: 13th place out of 23 entries  

  Score: 70%

- Giovanni Guardado  

  Competition: Screen Printing Technology  

  Teacher: AVHS,  Watson  

  Result: 14th place out of 16 entries  

  Score: 61.25%

- Brooklyn Hickey

  Competition: Job Skill Demo A  

  Teacher: AVHS,  Ostlie  

  Result: 15th place out of 18 entries  

  Score: 64.54%

- Grace Davis 

  Competition: Customer Service  

  Teacher: GHHS,  Hunt  

  Result: 15th place out of 18

  Score: 82%

- Kaydence De Arriaga, Sierra Peck 

  Competition: Web Design  

  Teacher: AVHS,  Ostlie  

  Result: 18th place out of 23 entries  

  Score: 47.45%

- Alejandro Flores, Genaro Zapata, Omar Morales, Cody Pratt  

  Competition: Teamworks  

  Teacher: AVHS,  Rees  

  Result: 27th place out of 35 entries  

  Score: 61.25%

- Travis Osburn, Jacob Charles, Judah McCombs  

  Competition: Welding Fabrication  

  Teacher: AVHS,  Penfold  

  Result: 31st place out of 41 entries  

  Score: 59.93%

"We are incredibly proud of all our students who competed at SkillsUSA Nationals," said Trenae Nelson, Superintendent of Apple Valley Unified School District. "To have multiple students place in the top 10 and see one of our own medal at the national level is truly remarkable. These achievements reflect the excellence of our CTE programs and the hard work of both our students and teachers. These are students that will soon be a part of our workforce, whether they are college bound or career bound. We look forward to seeing them succeed in their bright futures."

These results cap off an impressive year for Apple Valley Unified School District, where AVHS alone had 267 students compete at the state level, bringing home 61 medals in gold, silver, and bronze. GHHS had 36 students compete at the state level, bringing home 8 medals in gold, silver, and bronze. Jennifer Hunt was also named SkillsUSA California Advisor of the year. The success at the national level is a testament to the commitment to excellence in CTE education across the district.

SkillsUSA Results from Regionals, 2023-2024