Daisy Nsibu, an 11th grader and president of the Woodlawn High School Future Farmers of America (FFA) Chapter, has won the 2011 Area IV FFA Gulf of Mexico Speaking Career Development Event (CDE). Nsibu’s speech, “Barrier Islands and Their Role in Coastal Protection,” focused on the threats facing Louisiana’s barrier islands and offered potential solutions to save these vital elements of our coastal region.

This was the first time Nsibu had ever given a speech, and she competed against 10 other FFA members from all across southeast Louisiana. Her win is the first for Woodlawn High’s FFA Chapter, which was established this school year.  Nsibu will move on to compete in the State Gulf of Mexico CDE at the FFA State Convention in June.

Since 1928, the FFA has been using CDEs as a useful tool to connect classroom instruction with real life situations. Through CDEs, students learn teamwork, communication skills, confidence, and a number of other crucial life skills. These events are designed to better prepare students for a career in the agriculture industry and help them better understand the lessons taught in the classroom.

The National FFA Organization, formerly the Future Farmers of America, is a dynamic, student-led organization for students in agricultural education. There are more than 500,000 FFA members nation-wide and nearly 10,000 in Louisiana. FFA promotes premier leadership, personal growth and career success for students through middle and high school agriscience programs.