March 17, 2025

Two juniors will represent Hughson High later this spring in the California State FFA speech competition after high finishes recently at a regional event.

Grace Curry placed third in the Central Region in prepared public speaking while Kate Cooper was fourth in extemporaneous speaking. The state contest is April 1 in Sacramento.

Curry has a strong track record of success in ag competitions. Last summer, she had the top hog at the Stanislaus County Fair while earning one of the most prestigious awards -- first in Advanced Swine Showmanship. In 2022, she won for Supreme Champion Market Hog at the fair. She also has shown animals at the California State Fair.

Curry has previously competed in two FFA speech tournaments in other categories. This year, she entered prepared public speaking, where contestants must write and memorize a six- to eight-minute speech about any current agricultural topic. After they deliver the speech, they must answer five minutes of questions.

Curry spoke about the rise of a new disease in the swine industry called Hemorrhagic Tracheitis Syndrome (HTS), how it affected her show pig and the effect that a new disease could have on the pork industry in the United States. She began working on the speech last fall and practiced multiple times before the regional competition. She said her prior public speaking experience and her familiarity with her topic helped calm any nervousness she felt.

“Because my speech is so near and dear to my heart, and it is about an industry that I have grown up loving and I am passionate about, I just needed to remind myself that I know my speech and I know my topic, and whatever is going to happen will happen,” Curry said.

Cooper also is no stranger to the FFA speech contest. As a freshman two years ago, she made it to the state level in the FFA creed category. This year, she entered extemporaneous public speaking, where contestants are given 30 minutes to write and then deliver a speech on an assigned ag topic, which changes at every event.

Cooper brought two 100-page binders and her laptop computer to the regional competition, which helped her efficiently craft a speech addressing the question, “With our groundwater depleting, should farmland be turned into recharge aquifers?”

Like Curry, Cooper said her experience allowed her to overcome any jitters associated with public speaking.

“I have come to realize that nervousness is just an outward expression of care and passion,” she said. “By transforming my nervousness into excitement, I am better able to control my emotions and channel them into each speech I write and deliver. It’s also important to understand that each moment of fear is an opportunity of growth and achievement.”

Both students encouraged their peers to find ways to develop their own public speaking skills.

“I believe it is crucial that students learn the skill of public speaking in order to vocalize their beliefs and advocate for themselves,” said Cooper, who hopes to become an attorney specializing in ag-related issues.

Curry credits public speaking with helping her grow “out of my shell.” She aspires to attend Oklahoma State University and pursue an ag-related career.

“Once I was encouraged to use my voice and compete in these speaking contests … I have seen new doors and new opportunities open for my future that I never would have dreamed of before,” she said. “In a world that has moved so online and electronic, if high school students can learn to have conversations, present and articulate words well, even if it is not on a stage in front of a huge crowd or in a contest, they will be at an advantage when they reach adulthood and will be better off for their future.”