When asked to create a wedding bouquet using anything but flowers, students tapped into creative abilities by using various household items, such as the delicate form of folded ribbon and torn pages of an old book, to create the illusions of a blossom. 

Of the many CTE class options available to students at Sedro-Woolley High School, Floral Design is the perfect choice for those looking to express their artistry while absorbing themselves in the world of agriculture. 

“This is a more creative outlet of a CTE class,” said Olivia Wesen, the floral design teacher. “Though pretty much every CTE class is hands-on, that’s the point and what I love about it.” 

This is Wesen’s first year as a teacher. She’s been passionate about agriculture since her youth but found herself hesitant to pursue a teaching degree in the agriculture industry. 

“My high school didn’t have an FFA program, so I told myself I couldn’t be an agriculture teacher because I didn’t have agriculture teachers,” said Wesen. 

However, with support and devotion, she quickly found her niche: a unique mix of creativity, agriculture, and business. Even if students don’t pursue a career in the floral industry, in classic CTE fashion, floral design helps students develop skills that will benefit them when entering the workplace. 

“We look at how you would order, price, how you would budget, all of those different things that are transferable not only to other jobs but also to your personal life,” said Wesen. 

Wesen’s goal is to expand the floral program at Sedro-Woolley High School and implement more ways for students to actively engage with the floral industry. Right now, Wesen has set her sights on creating a floral subscription service, in which students will create and deliver floral arrangements to community members who have purchased a subscription.

“There’s a lot of really awesome people in Skagit Valley that are tied into the floral industry who I’d love to get connected into our program,” said Wesen. 

Although she’s the main connection between the class and flower providers, she makes sure to emphasize students’ visions. 

“I’m including the class in those conversations,” said Wesen. “Like asking, ‘what colors do we want?’ or ‘Let’s talk about what kind of flowers you would want’ and ‘here’s why this would work and this would not work.’ It’s a fun combination of worlds, of art and creativity, but also of an agriculture industry.”