Greenhouse flourishes under Bonanza senior’s leadership

April 16, 2026 / In a warm greenhouse filled with rows of flourishing seedlings and hanging baskets, Brooklyn Latscha kneels beside a group of Bonanza Elementary School kindergartners, guiding them as they carefully press lettuce seeds into soil. Around them, the work she has helped cultivate over months of early mornings and after-school hours continues to grow.

The Bonanza senior is at the center of the high school’s greenhouse program, where her leadership has increased production, strengthened student participation, and added a growing educational component for younger grades.

Latscha stepped into a central role managing the greenhouse as part of her senior project, a responsibility that quickly grew into a full-scale leadership position. While the greenhouse has been used in previous years, staff say her involvement has elevated its scope and student participation.

“She’s taken more ownership than any student I’ve ever seen,” said Nick Sparks, Bonanza’s manufacturing and shop teacher. “We gave her the opportunity, and she’s run with it. It’s been amazing to watch.”

When Latscha began working in the greenhouse in November, she helped oversee early-season setup and preparation for winter growing conditions. That included organizing plant materials, supporting infrastructure needs, and helping stabilize growing conditions as production ramped up.

Once operations were fully underway, Latscha began transplanting starter plants and growing additional crops from seed. Today, the greenhouse features a wide variety of plants, including vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, as well as flowers like marigolds and geraniums -- many of which she cultivated herself.

In addition to plant production, Latscha incorporated business and educational components. She developed pricing sheets, tracked startup costs, and created a system to compare expenses against revenue following plant sales. She also led marketing efforts, including outreach to local media.

“She’s really treated it like a business,” Sparks said. “Marketing plans, sales strategies -- those are all things she’s taken on independently.”

The greenhouse will host its largest sale of the year in May, -- the Bonanza FFA Mother’s Day Flower Sale. The sale, which runs from noon to 6 p.m. May 4-8 and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday May 9, will feature a wide variety of plants including vegetables, flowers, hanging baskets, lavender, and propagated houseplants. A lunch barbecue – hot dogs, chips, and a drink for $10 – will be offered during the May 9 event.

Beyond production and sales, Latscha also integrated an educational component by inviting younger students into the greenhouse. Elementary and preschool classes have participated in hands-on activities, guided by lesson plans she developed. On Tuesday, she showed the kindergartners how to plant lettuce and flower seeds in small containers to take home with them.

Originally planning a senior project focused on teaching history, Latscha shifted direction after unexpected changes left her without a placement. The greenhouse provided an opportunity to merge her academic goals with real-world experience.

“I wanted to find a way to connect this to my goal of becoming a teacher,” Latscha said. “This gave me the chance to practice teaching while doing something I really enjoy.”

Her work has also helped shape the future of the program. Staff say they hope to continue developing the greenhouse as a student-led initiative in the years ahead.

“This is exactly what school programs should be -- students learning by doing,” said agriculture science teacher Marie Kinney. “Brooklyn has set a strong example.”

Latscha spends several hours each day in the greenhouse, arriving early before school, returning during lunch, and often staying after school to maintain the plants. Over time, she says, the work has become personal.

“I’ve gotten really into gardening,” she said. “They’re kind of like my children.”

Latscha plans to attend Southern Oregon University next fall, majoring in secondary education with a minor in psychology.

She says the experience in the greenhouse has broadened her perspective. She also serves as a mentor in Bonanza’s kindergarten class.

“Working with younger students has been really valuable,” she said. “It’s helped me learn how to teach in different ways.”

For Sparks, the impact of her leadership extends beyond the greenhouse itself.

“We needed help, and she stepped up,” he said. “What she’s built here goes far beyond what we expected.”