SANTA MARIA HIGH SCHOOL
Agriculture Education and FFA
FFA Leadership Team
Jorge Gonzalez-President
Melanie Castillo- President
Hey Hey Hey Santa Maria FFA!
My name is Melanie Castillo Leyva, and I am so excited to serve as your 2025-2026 Chapter President! This upcoming year I will be a senior and fourth year member of FFA. Over the past years you can say I kept my self super busy, I served as the chapter Secretary, competed in the Soil and Land Evaluation team, participated in speaking contests, attended numerous leadership conferences, done over 100 hours of community service, and my all-time favorite part is raising market swine at the SBCF! A definite highlight from the past year would be working along side the CalPoly Ag Communications department to put on the first ever Spanish broadcast at the Sacramento State Leadership FFA Conference.
FFA has definitely made a huge impact in my life and has allowed me to learn, grow, and develop into a better leader.
However, outside of FFA you might catch me stuck in Ethel Pope dancing with my Folklorico group. I am super passionate about Folkloico and love being apart of the SMHS Folklorico Team! Along with that I have also participated in the SMHS Cheerleading Squad, and am currently a member of the Close Up Washington DC Club. The impact FFA has had on me has been immense to my success, join the family and let’s have an amazing year!
GO SAINTSS!
Ariel Parra-Vice President
What's up, Santa Maria FFA! My name is Ariel Parra, and I'm going to be serving as your 2025-2026 Chapter Vice President. This is going to be my fourth year in the FFA, and in those years, I have been a State Delegate, gone to various leadership conferences, competed in public speaking events up to the regional level, participated in the Nursery and Landscaping Judging team, and been a Chapter Sentinel and Sectional Historian. I've also raised turkeys and hogs at the Santa Barbara County Fair. My favorite part of the FFA is traveling to places I haven't seen, meeting new people from all over California, and, most importantly, helping my community. In addition to serving as your Chapter Vice President, I will also be serving as your Sectional Treasurer! Outside of my jacket, I enjoy cooking, swimming, listening to music, telling jokes, and doing Ballet Folklorico. My goal for this year is to help motivate you all to get more involved and, most importantly, enjoy your time in FFA. I hope to get to know as many people as possible in our Chapter and Section, so don't be afraid to strike up a conversation!
Samantha Santos- Vice President
Hi everyone! My name is Samantha Santos Mendez, and I’m honored to be serving as your 2025-2026 FFA Vice President this year. I’m an incoming senior and have been actively involved in FFA for the past three years. During that time, I’ve raised two market lambs and competed on the floriculture judging team for two years. One of the highlights of my FFA journey was serving as a delegate at the California FFA State Conference, as well as attending numerous leadership conferences across the state. Each event has helped me grow as a leader and deepened my passion for agriculture. Community service is also a big part of who I am — I’ve completed over 120 hours volunteering and love making a positive impact in our community. Beyond FFA, I’m involved in the Class of 2026 club, where I served as Vice President last year, and I participated in the Close-Up Washington program. FFA has truly shaped my high school experience, and I’m excited to help lead our chapter to another successful year. Let’s make it one to remember!
Evoleth Barragan- Secretary
Whazzzup Santa Maria FFA!! I’m Evoleth Barragan-Lozano and I will be proudly serving as your 2025-2026 chapter secretary! I’m currently a junior and my previous two years in FFA have been very eventful. Last year, I was chair for setup and decorations/ breakdown and have been involved a lot in our leadership class. I have participated in creed, BIG, water issues, opening and closing and much more! At this year’s state leadership conference I was given the opportunity to make history and work alongside Cal poly for Spanish broadcasting! I’m also apart of the Milk and Dairy products CDE team. Apart from being chapter secretary I will also be serving as your sectional president!! My past two years in FFA, have truly showered me in the sense of community, dedication, and most importantly fun. I hope to get to meet everyone in our chapter and hopefully call many of you guys friends and show you that everyone has a place in FFA. When I’m not in the blue jacket you can find me playing music, watching Adam Sandler movies, hanging out with my family and being everywhere and anywhere. I can’t wait for the fun memories, lessons, and laughter we will share!
Adeline Cruz-Reporter
Hey Santa Maria, FFA! If we haven’t met yet, my name is Adeline Cruz, and I’m beyond excited to be serving as your Chapter Reporter this year! I’m heading into my senior year, and this will be my fourth year in FFA. I’m here to help shine a spotlight on everything that makes Santa Maria FFA so special from showcasing our events on social media to keeping you in the loop with announcements and updates! Over the years, I’ve had the chance to dive into a ton of FFA experiences from competing in Opening and Closing, to being on teams like Agronomy Judging and Soil & Land Evaluation and being a part of the CO-OP team. Every one of those experiences has helped shape who I am today and I’m here to help YOU get involved and create some unforgettable memories of your own. Outside of FFA, I love staying active in ASB and other clubs on campus. It’s given me the chance to connect with all kinds of awesome people. One of the best parts about FFA is that it’s not just about agriculture—it’s about building confidence, learning new skills, and making lasting friendships along the way. This year, me and my officer team are working hard to make a year to remember. Whether you’re a longtime member or brand new to FFA, there’s a place for you here. So don’t be shy—jump in, get involved, and make the most of it! And if you see me around campus, don’t hesitate to hi! Let’s make this year unforgettable!
Aaron Richards - Treasurer
My name is Aaron Richards, and I’m super excited to be serving as your Chapter Treasurer for the 2025–2026 school year. I’m a senior this year, and I’ve been involved in FFA here at SMHS since my freshman year. Over the last few years, I’ve had the chance to attend conferences like MFE, ALA, and State Conference, take part in public speaking events, and complete over 40 hours of community service. One of my proudest mo of animals, I’ve had a blast showing my two chickens at the 2024 Santa Barbara County Fair and raising three rabbits for the 2025 fair.
Outside of FFA, I stay pretty busy. I’m part of AVID, a Link Crew leader, and I’ve lettered in boys' Tennis, Water Polo, and Swim. I’m a two-time Water Polo team captain, and I even made it to CIF for Swim in Tulare, California, in 2025—a highlight of my year!
When I’m not in my blue and gold jacket, I love spending time at the beach, camping, listening to music, and hanging out with my friends and family. I can’t wait to meet more of you this year, and I hope by the end of it, I can call you all friends. Have a great year, Saints!
Zachary Bradley Sentinel
My name is Zachary Bradley, and I’m excited to be serving as your 2025–2026 Chapter Sentinel as I head into my senior year!
Over the past three years in FFA, I’ve been part of the Farm Power team for two years, competed in Job Interview, and taken part in many other awesome events. One of my favorite places to be is in the ag shop, welding and building projects while hanging out with my friends.
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What I love most about FFA is getting to travel across the state, competing, and meet other members at conferences and events.
Outside of FFA, I enjoy working on cars with my brother and working with my pig.
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This year, as your Sentinel, I want to help make everyone feel welcome and excited to be part of this amazing program. Don’t hesitate to say hi or ask questions—I’m always down to help
Anahi Nunez- Historian
Hi Saints! My name is Anahí Nuñez, and I’m beyond excited to serve as your 2025-2026 Chapter Historian! Whether we’ve met before or this is your first time hearing my name, I’m truly grateful to be part of such an amazing chapter filled with passionate individuals. I’m currently a junior and have been involved in FFA since my freshman year. Over the past few years, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to raise pigs for the Santa Barbara County Fair, attend leadership conferences like MFE and State Conference, and compete on our vegetable judging team. I’ve also had the privilege to participate in various FFA speaking competitions, which have helped me grow in confidence.
Outside of my FFA jacket, you can find me in Ethel Pope dancing folklórico, hiking through trails, taking peaceful walks on the beach, or spending quality time with my friends and family. I love being active and involved in things that bring joy to both myself and others. FFA has given me so many unforgettable memories, and I can’t wait to make even more with all of you this year.
Greenhand Leadership Program
