OFI 1775: Work Brings Joy To A Natural Born Entrepreneur | FFA SAE Edition | Sophia Sisil | Madera-Liberty FFA

Sophia Sisil is a natural born entrepreneur and the owner of Sophia’s Succulents, selling plants and arrangements in farmers markets around the Madera, California area.  Sophia is also just getting ready to begin her 10th grad year of high school, but her 4th year of FFA.  Starting in middle school, Sophia joined the FFA kind of because that was the thing to do in her family.  However, by the end of her 8th grade year she was hooked and knew that she would wear the blue jacket for as long as she was able.

In today’s interview Sophia talks about her succulent business and how she got started.  Something stood out to me as she told the story.  She said that she was at a Home Depot with a friend, and she saw pieces of a succulent plant on the floor, waiting to be swept up and thrown in the trash.  However, her curiosity was piqued, and she took the pieces home and tried to propagate her own plants with the pieces.  When she told me that part, I knew that something was different.

As I inquired further, Sophia told me that she had been trying to start businesses since about 6th Grade.  She said that she has even tried selling her own clothes.  She also said at one point she was drawing pictures and selling them on Instagram.  She did this, even when her parents told her they didn’t think it would work.  That is a natural born entrepreneur!

SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Sophia’s Succulents

HIGH SCHOOL: Liberty High School; Madera, California

MASCOT: Hawks

FFA ADVISOR: Katie Mellot

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SOPHIA SISIL:

Click on the picture below to be taken to the Liberty High School Ag. Department’s website:

Sophia’s FFA Advisor’s Email Address: kwagner@gvusd.org

Liberty High School’s Telephone Number: 559-645-3500

FFA LINKS:

National FFA Organization

Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE’s)

Support FFA 

Donate to FFA – One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000.  In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants.  With your donations, more students can get this head start – pay it forward.

REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA:

• Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world.  FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food.
• Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation.  The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth.
• Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store:

“The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America’s youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America’s youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.”.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue

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