Brookings FFA members excel at state convention

Posted 5/6/24

Recently, the Brookings FFA chapter attended the South Dakota State FFA Convention held on the campus of SDSU and Dacotah Bank Center.

One of the hallmarks of agricultural education and the FFA …

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Brookings FFA members excel at state convention

Posted

Recently, the Brookings FFA chapter attended the South Dakota State FFA Convention held on the campus of SDSU and Dacotah Bank Center.

One of the hallmarks of agricultural education and the FFA is the opportunity to showcase skills learned in classrooms and spotlighted through competitive events. It is a source of pride and students look forward to the state-level events each year to determine who will represent South Dakota at the national level in the coming fall. For the first time this year, teams had to qualify at the district level in order to compete at state convention.

This year over 2,000 South Dakota FFA members competed in 15 Career Development Events at the State FFA Convention. FFA’s Career Development Events are built around ag industry careers, expose members to many of the opportunities and needs in the agriculture sector, and enable them to develop and refine their abilities to critically evaluate, effectively communicate and ultimately, succeed in future careers.

The Brookings FFA competed in 12 events with over 50 members in attendance at the State FFA Convention. Of the 12 events, the Brookings FFA had five teams place in the top three overall as well as 16 members ranked in the top 10 individuals in the state for their respective CDE.

Those events include: Ag Business Management – first, Natural Resources – first, Vet Science – first, Meats Evaluation – second, and Ag Mech – third.

All three of the first-place teams will advance to represent South Dakota at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis next fall.

When asked what the FFA Career Development Events provide for students, Gabriel Stern, Brookings FFA treasurer, responded, “Students in Career Development Events gain experience and knowledge through the career events they choose to compete in. From the competitions, students become aware of the possible careers available to them, and the endless opportunities at their fingertips.

In addition to the success of the team events, the Brookings FFA, for the second year in a row, competed for the National Chapter recognition award. The National Chapter Award is the highest honor an FFA chapter can receive and recognizes chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the FFA. Chapters recognized have developed an active Program of Activities and conducted meaningful events. For the overall state award, a chapter must complete at least 15 activities: one for each of the five quality standards in each of the three divisions — Growing Leaders, Building Communities, and Strengthening Agriculture, and meet the minimum requirements outlined in the National Quality FFA Chapter Standards. The Brookings FFA chapter was awarded first place in the Growing Leaders category, and ranked as fourth Overall Chapter in the state.

Cassie Fenske, Brookings FFA president, commented “Applying for this award led the chapter officers and members to take action towards the betterment of the community. We were able to learn how to lead people of all ages through many events over the past year. In turn, we were able to ensure that members felt more confident when thinking about their future plans.”

Overall, the Brookings FFA had a very successful year and will continue to strive for excellence with its members. The Brookings FFA consists of over 100 student members and has been advised by Joshua Johnson for the last 11 years and Michelle Dykstra for the past two.

The Brookings FFA chapter would not be possible without first and foremost the agricultural education department at Brookings High School. To be a member in the National FFA Organization, students must enroll in at least one agricultural education course each school year. Johnson has been the agricultural education instructor and FFA adviser for the past ten years at Brookings High School. Within that time, the agriculture department at BHS has seen tremendous growth and student engagement. This past school year, over 250 students registered for one of 15 agricultural education courses offered at BHS.

Johnson said, “I have always had a love for the agriculture industry and providing students with the best educational experiences is what I strive to accomplish. Being part of the successes of these students is truly an honor. I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to do what I love and make a difference in the lives of the students who will one day be the next leaders in not only agriculture, but our community, country and world.”

Lastly, the Brookings FFA leaders expressed gratitude to the school staff, businesses and community members who have sponsored and supported them throughout this year. Without their contributions, the Brookings FFA simply would not have the success it does.