WOODBURY — Jocelyn Coscia is more than the cowboy boots and jeans. Ag is a big part of her life, but certainly not the whole thing.
Coscia is a sophomore here at Nonnewaug, and she is known by her friends and family as Joci. Originally coming from Seymour, it was hard for Coscia to leave her friends back home and attend a new school.
“It was a little nerve wracking,” Coscia said, “but I knew people here as I was coming in. Plus, the positive things I’ve heard made me excited.”
Being in a different school, it may be hard for some to find friends. Coscia didn’t have much trouble finding one of her best friends right away.
“I have known Joci since freshman year,” said Christa Freel, who is also a sophomore. “I met her in gym and I had several classes with her freshman year. We immediately clicked in math, which was our last class of the day. We both sucked at geometry and we both bonded over disliking math class.”
Coscia may not be a fan of the academic part of school but she does enjoy the ag program.
“My ag classes have always been my favorite,” said Coscia. “They have topics and things I almost always enjoy doing, it’s hands-on, and the teachers are wonderful and always willing to help. I’ve practically become friends with almost everyone in my ag classes.”
Coscia is heavily involved with the Woodbury FFA, including some of its competition teams.
“Jocelyn is involved in a lot of different aspects from her SAE, Goat Show Team, and the horse judging CDE team,” equine teacher Marisa Bedron said.
Coscia is also pretty good at these programs — better than she is at other things, according to Freel.
“While she was not good at geometry, she is an expert in horses,” Freel said. “We took horse management together our sophomore year and she flies through that class with flying colors.”
As proof of her expertise, Coscia now has awards to back it up.
“This year she was a part of the Connecticut state-winning horse judging team,” Bedron said, “and even placed first in the state for the contest.”
“When it comes to the after-school ag activities, I’ve done extremely well,” Coscia said.
Coscia brings pride to everyone she works with, and when there is something that needs to be done she will do it. She works, rides, and leases a horse named Tuukka at Fine Step Equestrian in Bethany.
“When she is dedicated to something, she truly gives it her all and wants to learn as much as she can,” Bedron said. “She has been a dedicated member to the Woodbury FFA and works consistently at a horse farm in Bethany taking care of the horses and riding them as well.”
When it comes to the things she loves, they are almost second nature to her. Coscia admits that she isn’t as motivated when it comes to school and would rather put her energy toward her future.
“I think school is not worth it after middle school,” Coscia said. “We could be working, making money, making a name for ourselves and actually doing things to help our future. School puts a lot of stress on people and takes up a lot of our time. It’s not fair to kids like me who want to build a name for themselves and would rather work than go to school and sit in a classroom when it’s not my style of learning.”
In that way, Coscia is a role model her peers look up to.
“She is proof to me that you don’t need to be good at what school says you need,” Freel said. “She can still succeed in things without math or core classes.”
