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By Alex Freeman, �ǿմ�ý Communications Specialist��

Three �ǿմ�ý��Ag Club students have joined the highest ranks of the National FFA Organization, earning one of the most prestigious honors attainable in agricultural education.��

Madyson Hartman��(St. Louis, Mich.),��Nicole Hollabaugh��(Ithaca, Mich.),��and Savanah Mager��(Saranac, Mich.)��were awarded the American FFA Degree at the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo on Nov.��1��in Indianapolis, Ind.��

Each year, the National FFA Organization honors FFA members who show the utmost dedication to the organization through their desire to develop their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.��The American FFA Degree is bestowed upon a select group of students in recognition of their years of academic and professional excellence.��The award recognizes demonstrated ability and outstanding achievements in agricultural business, production, processing, or service programs.��

To be eligible, FFA members must have earned at least $10,000 or earned at least $2,000 and worked at least 2,250 hours��outside of class time through a supervised agricultural experience (SAE) program in which they own their own business, hold a professional position as an employee, or conduct research. Recipients must also complete 50 hours of community service and demonstrate outstanding leadership abilities and civic involvement through the completion of a long list of FFA and community activities. Less than one percent of FFA members achieve the American FFA Degree.��

All three �ǿմ�ý students took several years to complete their SAE requirements. For Hartman’s SAE projects, she raised show cattle and brought them to the county fair, learning how to properly care for animals and keep close records. For her community service aspect, Hartman focused on projects around her community of St. Louis and acts of service alongside her FFA chapter.��

“Earning the American FFA Degree was the culmination of years spent caring for my cattle, serving my community and growing as a leader,” Hartman said. “Receiving this honor was incredibly meaningful after all of my hard work, growth and commitment to agriculture.”��

Hollabaugh took about seven years to complete her SAE requirements, with her projects including raising market lambs and selling them at her county fair and working for a local family farm. She also spent 11 months as a co-op student at Isabella Bank, working directly with farmers on processing loans,��establishing lines of credit and handling day-to-day transactions.��For her community service, Hollabaugh��volunteered for the We Love Our Troops Poker Ride in Ithaca,��volunteered at the Village of Ashley Country Christmas and did various��community service projects with her local FFA chapter.��

“When I walked across that stage, I looked out toward the crowd and I thought of everyone who helped me get here,” Hollabaugh said. “Whether it was my �ǿմ�ý family, the Ag Club, my FFA chapter back home, my parents, my family, my friends. Just all of the help that they gave me in supporting me these last seven years, when I finally unzipped my FFA jacket for the final time, I was just so grateful for all of the experiences that I’ve had and how much I’ve been able to grow in this organization.”��

Mager also took seven years to complete her SAE requirements, focusing on raising pigs.��

“I’ve been doing that since I was five, but my SAE didn’t start until I was in seventh grade,” Mager said. “I bought pigs, raised them, showed them at the fair and sold them. And then I went into the process of breeding my own, so I bought two sows, bred my own. I got money from selling the pigs and I invested it back into my pigs. So it was $10,000 I spent and invested back into my SAE.”��

For community service, Mager helped pass out Christmas presents through her work with the Salvation Army. She also helped with food drives each year she was in high school and��helped��take the food to local food banks.��Keeping with the festive spirit,��Mager painted pumpkins and made Thanksgiving and Christmas cards and passed them out at local retirement homes.��

“When I walked across the stage, personally, everything went black,” said Mager of receiving her American FFA Degree. “I remember shaking the other officers’ hands, but that’s about it. As I unzipped my jacket for the last time, I was so thankful for my parents, my grandparents, my advisors that weren’t able to make it down there to watch me, but I definitely called them right after and thanked them for everything they’ve done to get me to that point.”��

After being recognized at the national convention, each recipient of the American FFA Degree receives a gold American FFA Degree key and certificate.��The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 1,042,245 student members as part of 9,407 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.��