WOODBURY — This year’s Woodbury FFA Ag Mechanics CDE team led by Nonnewaug teacher Andrew Zielinski as a coach has quite the shoes to fill. With only half the number of members last year and an inexperienced group, these Nonnewaug mechanics students will have to bring their A-game during competitions.

“I have half the size of the team as I did last year,” Zielinski said. “Last year there were eight people, and I only have four [this year], so I was only able to have one team event.”

The mechanics CDE, short for Career Development Event, is arguably one of the hardest to compete in.

“This competition is harder in my opinion,” freshman Wyatt Jones said, “because it could be natural resources, surveying, electrical welding, small engines, hydraulics, stuff like that, and you don’t know what you’re doing [in the competition] under each topic, so we just try to prepare for anything.”

Between welding, electrical, natural resources, and more to be decided, there’s a lot to prepare with little knowledge on what will be tested at the competition.

“The kids on the team know what they’re doing,” junior Chase Heidorn said, “and will do their thing to get the job done.”

To some team members, the mechanics CDE is more than just a competition but more of a learning experience for their lives after school.

“I wanted to learn more about mechanics, like welding and electrical,” Heidorn said, “and become more mechanically inclined because when I’m a vet and if something breaks, I will have some of that experience to know how to fix things without having to pay someone.”

Learning from this CDE for some is more than just having the knowledge but making a career.

“I would like to head west and be a welder,” Jones said, “and hopefully this will help with getting me into school for a better welding education to achieve that.”

For the students that may use the agriscience program to start a career, the many CDEs that the ag program provides, is a good way for many students to be better in that field and have hands-on experience to set them up for a possible future in the FFA.

“I like the CDEs the ag program provides,” Heidorn said, “because they have taught me a lot so far and have put me further in the direction of being better and more mechanically inclined. I’m glad I did the mechanical CDE and it has helped me a lot.”