NORTHROP AWARDED SCHOLARSHIP IN NATIONAL FFA COMPETITION
COLUMBIA, SC…Parker Northrop, a senior at Strom Thurmond High School and president of the Thurmond Technology Center FFA Chapter, was named a Gold Emblem Individual winner and awarded a $500 scholarship as one of the top ten individual scorers in the National FFA Environmental/Natural Resources Career Development Event held in conjunction with the National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, October 24-27, 2007, according to John W. Parris, state director of public affairs with the SC FFA organization.
Parker was a member of the Strom Thurmond Technology Center FFA Environmental/Natural Resources Team which received a Silver Emblem award in the national competition. Other team members were Angel Henderson, Jamie Flores and Ryan Burns. The team advisor was Hugh Bland, Agricultural Education Instructor and FFA Advisor at the Center.
The Environmental/Natural Resources Career Development Event is a competitive activity that allows students to apply classroom knowledge to real-life situations. The event focuses on testing the participants problem solving and decision making skills in environmental and natural resources. The areas of concentration included soil profiles, water and air quality, waste management, environmental analysis and use of global positioning systems.
This event was sponsored by the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service and Smithfield Foods of Smithfield, Virginia, as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.
The mission of the FFA is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through Agricultural Education.