Oak Ridge FFA earns national recognition with State Superior Chapter Award

Oak Ridge FFA chapter members. Front row, from left: Reese Morrison, Emma Boyd, Lexie Seiler, Sophia Woodall, Dakota Cox and Jesse Bishop. Back row, from left: chapter sponsor Rich Thomas, Hayleigh Hahs, Hunter Mason, Job Sachse, Grant Meyer, Jon Sachse, Carson Hahs, Alana Taylor, Jesse Ludwig, Taylor Nothdurft, Dayn Cox and Will Dace.

Courtesy Oak Ridge FFA

Oak Ridge’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter received national honors at the 96th annual Missouri State FFA Convention.

Oak Ridge received a State Superior Chapter Award — a national award given to chapters that “conduct one activity related to each quality standard in addition to meeting the minimum criteria outlined in the National Quality Chapter Standards” — which puts it among the state’s top chapters.

Oak Ridge also received awards for having 100% membership — membership numbers equal to or greater than the number of students enrolled in a school’s agriculture classes — and for increasing membership by 10%.

Oak Ridge's Jesse Bishop, Carson Hahs, Job Sachse, Taylor Nothdurft and Rich Thomas pose with their awards the 96th Annual Missouri State FFA Convention.

Courtesy Oak Ridge FFA

Proficiency awards were presented to Matt Ernst for agriculture mechanics, Jesse Bishop for food science, Job Sachse for agriculture processing and Taylor Northdurft for service learning. Chapter sponsor Rich Thomas also was honored as a finalist for Missouri’s inaugural Golden Owl Award presented to the ag educator of the year.

Additionally, Marshall Abner, Alana Taylor, Sophia Woodall, Bishop, Nothdurft and Sachse were honored as State Degree recipients, an award presented to members in 11th grade and up who are “involved in chapter leadership, state-level activities and community service and who complete a set number of hours of instruction and SAE growth and productivity.”

Other State Degree recipients from schools in the Southeast Missourian coverage area include Ty Bollinger, Allison Eifert, Autumn McBryde and Taylor Myers of Jackson; Madisen Denman, Isabella Foltz, Rachael Hellebusch, Lori Kent, Hunter Mayfield, Rylee Shelton and Matthew Yamnitz of Meadow Heights; Coebie Glastetter and Lucia Kieffer of Oran; Destiny Mudge and Garrett Roth of Perryville; and Amelia Mae Wilson of Saxony Lutheran.