Peotone FFA Shines at State Convention
Peotone FFA had a long, successful week in Springfield two weeks ago for the 96th Illinois State FFA Convention! We are beyond proud of our members who put the work in throughout this past year in order to be recognized this week.
Our chapter was recognized as the Section 10 Winner in Strengthening Agriculture and as a Gold Ranking in the National Chapter Award. We are in the top 12% of chapters in the state of Illinois, and we are proud of the work our officer team and members put in this past year and for this application!
Six students received their State FFA Degree: Emma Bialko, William Bialko, Reese Parker, Quinn Pollak, Bryce Thomas and Kaylee Traub.
Hayden Mueller performed in the band, the first Peotone FFA member to be in the state band in 10 years.
A huge THANK YOU goes out to Ms. Zarnowski who brought a van of students to Springfield and was with us for the entire State FFA Convention. Ms. Z was crucial for us to have a successful time, helping us throughout the week. We will miss her as our “honorary third FFA advisor” this next school year, and wish her well in her new endeavors!
As advisors, we are beyond blessed to work with the students we work with every day. Their dedication to leadership, their support of one another, and their ability to reflect and grow throughout their time in FFA makes it rewarding to watch as they become strong, mindful young adults.
Story and photos courtesy of Peotone FFA.
Isabella Johnson was recognized for being a candidate for the American FFA Degree. She will receive her degree at the National FFA Convention in October in Indianapolis.
Emma Bialko was recognized as the State Winner in the Equine Placement Proficiency Award Area. She also was recognized as the District II Star in Agricultural Placement, being in the top 5 in this area in the state. We cannot underestimate the level of award this is for Emma. We, as a chapter, have only had 4 district stars in our 90+ year history.
Mark Jones II received the Silver Chapter President Award and was a state finalist in the Job Interview CDE. He also was a candidate for Major State Office. Even though he was not elected, the Chapter has not had a candidate in many, many years.