Like many of the students in Questar III’s New Visions, Josh Plitnick had questions for Sue Goold Miller as she stood in her apple orchard explaining her family’s business.
While some students asked how growers could minimize crop losses from weather and others inquired about the use of pesticides, Plitnick was interested to learn how the orchard sold its apples both locally and across the country.
“It was interesting to see the business aspects of the industry,” said the Schodack Central School District senior. “It’s much more than growing apples.”
Plitnick was one of 45 students in Questar III’s New Visions programs to visit Goold Orchards in Castleton on September 28 during a field trip to learn about the 100-year-old family farm.
The students were all seniors from high schools throughout Rensselaer, Columbia and Greene counties enrolled in one of the organization’s four New Visions programs. The programs offer highly motivated students an opportunity to explore careers in areas such as engineering, medicine or research while earning college credit in their senior year.
As Miller talked about the apple farm her grandfather started 100 years ago, she was peppered with questions from the group of students. How does maintenance of apple trees compare to other fruit trees? Do they use migrant labor and what are the costs?
“I’d say you’re the best group yet,” Miller told the students at the end of the tour. “You had a lot of great questions.”
Ruth Russell, an instructor in the New Visions Scientific Research and World Health program, noted her students always have questions. Because enrollment in the program is competitive and requires references from teachers and guidance counselors, the students are some of the top students at their schools.
Students in her program attend classes in the morning at the University at Albany’s East Campus, Russell explained, and return to their school districts in the afternoon. At the university campus, they work with researchers from organizations such as the Center for Functional Genomics and the State Police Forensics Training Laboratories.
“They’re doing good things in their senior year. They push to the end and work hard but they’re rewarded. They go to the best schools and earn scholarships,” Russell said. “They also find themselves and explore careers they may be interested in.”
Maria Harrington, a senior from Troy High School, said the New Visions Medicine and Allied Health program helped her realize she wanted to be an emergency room physician.
Harrington noted the program is extremely difficult but she’ll be better prepared for college now that she understands the amount of work involved and the importance of time management. She also will graduate from high school with 17 college credits.
“That’s why this program is so good,” Harrington said. “You can explore something now instead of when you’re going to college and paying the big bucks.”
