Sutter FBLA officers Garrett Fremd, Scarlett Ocheltree and Dominique Madrigal present flowers to parent volunteer Laurie Gidel on June 10 in recognition of her guidance and support throughout the award-winning “Landmarks of Legacy” project. Photo by Susan Meeker

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) – What started as a student effort to preserve overlooked pieces of Sutter County history has grown into an award-winning project that will represent California on the national stage later this month.

Garrett Fremd, Scarlett Ocheltree and Dominique Madrigal, officers of the Sutter Union High School Future Business Leaders of America chapter, presented their first-place state-winning community service project, "Landmarks of Legacy," during the June 10 Yuba City Rotary Club luncheon. The presentation served as a dress rehearsal before the team heads to the National FBLA Leadership Conference in San Antonio, Texas, June 29 through July 2.

The historic undertaking earned first place among California FBLA chapters after judges selected it as the state's top community service project. The top four finishers advanced to national competition.

The project began during the chapter's first officer meeting of the school year, when students discussed how much local history often goes unnoticed even by those who live in Sutter County.

"Our team realized we knew very little of Sutter County history and agreed that it's overlooked," Fremd said.

The chapter responded by creating seven permanent historical markers and a self-guided tour highlighting locations that helped shape Sutter County's history. Each sign includes historical information, photographs provided through the Sutter County Museum and a QR code linking visitors to additional resources. The students also developed and distributed travel guide brochures to local businesses, libraries and the museum, creating a permanent historical tour for residents and visitors.

The tour features the Sutter Buttes at Larry Munger Vista Point, the Sutter Train Depot, Butte House Road, Sutter Cemetery, Butte Slough School in Meridian, Long Bridge in Meridian and Sunsweet Growers Inc. in Yuba City, recognizing both the area's historical landmarks and agricultural heritage.

Research conducted by the students found that fewer than 1.5 percent of county residents actively visited the Sutter County Museum, Fremd said. The museum's outreach efforts reached only a fraction of the county's approximately 99,000 residents, convincing students there was a need to make local history more visible and accessible. Working with museum staff, local organizations and landowners, students gathered photographs, historical records and background information used throughout the project.

Landmarks of Legacy became a chapter-wide undertaking involving students from multiple programs and classes. Working with advisor Katie Zwissig, parent volunteer Laurie Gidel and Sutter County Museum Director Molly Bloom, members researched sites, designed signs, secured approvals, coordinated fabrication and installation, and conducted educational presentations. Students enrolled in metal shop classes built the sign frames while digital marketing students designed the travel guide brochures.

“We knew we wanted to leave an impact on our chapter, school and entire community,” Ocheltree said.

The effort drew participation from 287 of the chapter's 368 members, who contributed a combined 394 service hours. Students also shared local history through presentations at area K-8 schools.

According to data presented at Rotary, student confidence in their knowledge of local history increased by more than 75 percent following the presentations.

Madrigal said the project was designed to remain a lasting community resource. The signs are weather-resistant and require little maintenance, while future FBLA community service committees will continue cleaning the markers and restocking brochures.

“We didn't just open up a time capsule from 100 years ago,” Madrigal said. “We brought it back to life. And now these stories aren't just remembered, they're seen, visited and experienced for decades to come.”