The Eastern Chapter of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) awarded two grants to Chloe Fuentes and Jennifer Tiao, FFA students graduating from the John Bowne High School class of 2008. Fuentes and Tiao each received awards of $500 for their outstanding achievement and contribution to the FFA agriculture program.

A graduating senior of the animal science program, Fuentes is also president of the student FFA chapter and a member of the Aquaculture and Ag Mechanics teams. Tiao is a graduating senior majoring in animal science. She had worked in the Exotic Animal Laboratory of John Bowne High School and at the Heights Veterinary Hospital.

Fuentes and Tiao will both attend Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, Penn. this fall. Fuentes plans to major in biology and Tiao will enter the pre-veterinary medicine program.

The grants, sponsored by NAMA and Gibbs & Soell Public Relations, were presented by NAMA Eastern Chapter Vice-President Benjamin Church of Pfizer Animal Health.

“Jennifer, Chloe and the other John Bowne High School students represent the future of the agriculture industry,” Church says. “By recognizing the achievements of these hard-working students, we hope to encourage their studies and active participation in the future of the ag industry.”

John Bowne High School is located in Flushing, NY. The school’s specialized agriculture program is nationally recognized as an outstanding urban agricultural education offering.

One of the unique aspects of the program is the relationship between classroom instruction and hands-on experience. During the school year, students take classes in plant science and animal science, in addition to courses in traditional academic subjects. Students develop their agricultural experience on the school’s land laboratory and in both urban and rural agriculture jobs during the summers.

Many John Bowne graduates go on to agricultural and technical colleges and many out-of-state institutions throughout the Northeast before establishing themselves in leadership positions in agricultural professions.