Oxford High School is thrilled to celebrate its horticulture program after two student teams represented Mississippi with excellence at the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo recently held in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Oxford’s agronomy group earned an impressive 8th place finish in the nation, and the floriculture team placed 37th overall. Both teams advanced to nationals after winning first place at the state level earlier this year.
The convention hosted more than 73,000 attendees, including students and teams from across the country showcasing their knowledge in a wide range of agricultural areas. In many states, teams advance through several qualifying rounds before reaching nationals, while Mississippi’s single state contest determines its representatives—making Oxford’s national performance particularly impressive.
In agronomy, Lilly Ambrose, Uno Estialbo, Meghan Goins, and Stella McConnell put their knowledge of crop science and management to the test through a mix of hands-on and written challenges. Acting as crop consultants, the team analyzed real-world scenarios, diagnosed plant health issues, and recommended solutions. Individually, Lilly Ambrose and Stella McConnell earned gold ratings, and Uno Estialbo and Meghan Goins earned silver.
They also completed rigorous exams, including one modeled after the International Certified Crop Advisor Exam—a post-graduate level test for professional agronomists. One team member, Lilly Ambrose, reached an extraordinary milestone by passing the exam, a rare achievement for a high school student and a testament to her dedication and depth of learning.
The Floriculture team, composed of Swayze Ross, Azalia Salgado, Aeriunna Strong, and Marissa Youngs, also represented Oxford, blending creativity and technical skills as they designed floral arrangements and completed written exams on floral design, plant identification, and greenhouse management. Individually, Swayze Ross and Marissa Youngs earned silver ratings, and Azalia Salgado and Aeriunna Strong earned bronze.
A special thank you to Danielle Ambrose for leading instructional sessions in floral design and to Oxford Floral and Bette’s Flowers for their ongoing support and for providing materials and fresh flowers to help students prepare for the competition.
“Mississippi has not traditionally ranked among the top performers at the national level, so having a team place in the top ten in any category is truly outstanding. To my knowledge, very few teams from our state have accomplished this—let alone in agronomy, a field typically dominated by Midwestern states,” said Ken Hearn, Oxford High School horticulture teacher. “I am extremely proud of both teams and their exceptional performance at this level. Most people don’t realize the amount of hard work and dedication that goes into these achievements. Our students practice after school for three to four hours per week over a nine-month period to reach this level of success.”
Oxford High School extends its congratulations to all participating students for their commitment and outstanding representation of their school and state on the national stage. Their continued success reflects the strength of the program and the passion they bring to agricultural education.
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