SACRAMENTO >> Eighteen Cal Poly students, including Blair Brookes, a senior from Kelseyville, were recognized for their awards and other accomplishments by lawmakers on the floors of the state Assembly and Senate in Sacramento on February 12.
“I’m proud to accompany these fine young men and women, a group that includes some of our best and brightest students,” said university President Jeffrey D. Armstrong. “These campus leaders in their respective colleges will share with state representatives the value of the Learn by Doing education. In just a matter of months, several will make the transition from campus to careers, where the skills they developed as students will make them future industry leaders.”
Brookes was part of Cal Poly’s National Agri-Marketing Association Team that won the National Agri-Marketing Association’s student marketing competition last April. The contest challenges students from 40 universities to develop marketing plans for brand-new products. Brookes estimates she and her teammates spent 5,000 hours over six months developing and honing the winning proposal.
It was a busy year for the agribusiness senior who will complete her studies in March and begin work at Dow AgroSciences. In addition to numerous student competitions and receiving an American FFA Degree in October, she oversaw last year’s Ag Showcase, a career fair for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.
“As a student studying agriculture, it is crucial to get hands on experience that you can later apply to your career in industry,” she said. “I am so glad I chose to attend Cal Poly and for all of the experiences I have had. Being selected to represent all of these hard working, talented people is incredibly humbling.”
The group was introduced to the Senate by Majority Leader Bill Monning, D-Carmel, and to the Assembly by Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham, R-San Luis Obispo. Both men represent San Luis Obispo County.
Ceremonies were held in each chamber.
The majority of the students call California home — from Chico to San Diego. Two others are from outside the Golden State — Colorado and Ohio.
Each has distinguished him- or herself as an individual or on a team that has received a national industry award or in other high-profile events, including the Tournament of Roses Parade, with its worldwide TV audience of 100 million, and the concrete canoe team that won the national championship.
The group also greeted family, friends and alumni at a reception in San Jose on Feb. 11.
