PHS Students Shine at FFA State Convention

At the end of March, FFA students from Pendleton High School competed at the Oregon FFA State Convention in Redmond, Oregon.

Advanced Public Speaking

Evelyn Hayes (Junior) placed fourth in the state with her speech, “Hydroponics for a Growing Globe.” To get there, she had to earn her way through the chapter event, the district event, and then the sectional event to put her in the top eight, where she ended up in the top four state finishers.

State FFA Degrees

Four PHS students earned these.

Braden Brown (Senior) earned his State FFA Degree with a focus on working in the Ag Mechanics Pathway, primarily agricultural construction.

Kenedee Parsons (Senior) culminated years of raising and selling market swine with her State FFA Degree. She also serves as the chapter’s Land Lab Manager.

Kayle Smith (Senior), whose Supervised Agriculture Experiences (SAEs) consisted of working at the Columbia Basin Ag Research Center and raising and selling market lambs.

Abigail Wilks (Junior) was the only junior to earn the State FFA Degree. She has several SAEs, including Diversified Livestock Production, Grain Production, Forage Production, and Agricultural Education.

To earn the State FFA Degree, students must show exemplary performance in their SAE by earning $1,500 or a combination of hours and earned money. They must also work a minimum of 500 hours in their SAE. In addition, involvement in leadership activities through FFA, community service, and involvement in other school or community events are required. Each student with a State FFA Degree has also demonstrated proficiency in public speaking and parliamentary procedure. Students in PHS’s Ag Department who earn their State FFA Degree are also able to wear a CTE Honors Stole at graduation.

Marty Campbell, FFA Advisor at PHS, said, “Every one of these kids has traveled their own path to get where they are, and I’m just thankful to be a part of their journey. The hours we spend together helping them achieve their goals is one of the most special things I get to do as an educator. I take my job very seriously in that I am helping build a future for the industry that feeds the world, and in these kids, I’d say the future is bright.”