The Elgin FFA Chapter is very excited to announce that eight senior members have received their State FFA Degree. The Nebraska State FFA Degree, according to Elgin FFA Advisor Julia Schwartz, is the highest honor the Nebraska FFA Association can bestow upon its members. Upon the cancellation of the 2020 Nebraska State FFA Convention, these members will not have an opportunity to walk across the stage of Pinnacle Bank Arena to receive their degree and recognition by the State FFA officers. The ceremony would have been scheduled to happen this Friday, April 3 at 4 p.m. With sincerity, the Elgin FFA members and their advisor, Mrs. Schwartz, would like to congratulate these young members and their parents with such an accomplishment!
The 2020 recipients are: Austin Bauer, Adam Dreger, Cade Heithoff, Tyler Iburg, Faith Kinney, Cory Romej, Talena Woodard and Haley Zegers. In order for a student to receive a state degree, he or she must have already received their greenhand and chapter degrees; been an active member for at least two years, which includes two years of agriculture education classes and a Supervised Agriculture Experience; demonstrated leadership abilities; and met the required hours and event numbers in terms of FFA activities and community service. All of these requirements have been put in place by National FFA.
A large part of receiving one’s state degree includes a student’s Supervised Agriculture Experience, or SAE. This is the very individualized way a student is working toward career success and learning about real-life matters. For many, their SAE is their job, but it can be either paid or unpaid.
By looking at the number of requirements, it becomes easier to understand the prestige of receiving this degree and the work that our members have put in.
Each student has put in at least twenty-five hours of community service and numerous FFA activities above the chapter level to receive their degree. In addition to that, compiled is the work all the students have done in their SAE to receive their degree.
