INDIANAPOLIS – Each year, the National FFA Organization is proud to honor the 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. That honor, the American FFA Degree, is bestowed up on a select group of individuals for years of academic and professional excellence.

From left to right: Ms. Brita Groves, Douglas FFA Advisor; Allison Vaughn, American Degree recipient; Douglas FFA members Mackenzie Kimbro, Yanitza Ybarra and Jesus Hughes. Submitted Article

Allison Vaughn, an FFA member representing the Douglas FFA Chapter, was selected to join that exclusive list and was awarded the American FFA Degree at the 85th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis. The convention is known as the largest student gathering in the United States and was Oct. 24-27, 2012.

The American FFA Degree is sponsored by Case IH, The Progressive Farmer, Farm Credit, Syngenta, and Pioneer, a DuPont Business, as a special project of the National FFA Foundation. It recognizes demonstrated ability and outstanding achievements in agricultural business, production, processing or service programs.

To earn this degree, Allison had to earn and productively invest $7,500 through a supervised agricultural experience (SAE) program, a program in which FFA members start, own or hold a professional position in an existing agriculture enterprise. Allison’s SAE projects include Sheep Production, Pet Sitting, Greenhouse Management, Vegetable Production and working as an Agricultural Education Intern. She also had to complete 50 community service hours, as well as demonstrate outstanding leadership abilities and community involvement. Some of Allison’s other accomplishments include serving as the State FFA Vice President in 2010- 2011 and receiving the Monsanto Dekalb Student of the Year award.

Ms. Brita Groves, Allison’s FFA Advisor and Agricultural Educator, and 3 Douglas FFA members also attended the National Convention. They were able to take several industry tours to discover how agriculture in Indiana differs from the industry in Arizona. They also attended the Career Expo, where they were able to explore hundreds of career options and network for future opportunities. To get the opportunity to experience leadership at a national level was an outstanding experience for the students that they will never forget.

The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 540,379 student members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,489 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.