The National FFA Organization has announced the 16 finalists for its 2022 top achievement awards: American Star Farmer, American Star in Agribusiness, American Star in Agricultural Placement and American Star in Agriscience.
The American Star Awards represent the best of the best among thousands of American FFA Degree recipients. The award recognizes FFA members who have developed outstanding agricultural skills and competencies by completing a supervised agricultural experience (SAE) program. A required activity in FFA, an SAE allows members to learn by doing. Members can own and operate an agricultural business, intern at an agricultural business, or conduct an agriculture-based scientific experiment and report the results.
Other requirements to achieve the award include demonstrating top management skills; completing key agricultural education, scholastic and leadership requirements; and earning an American FFA Degree, the organization's highest level of student accomplishment.
A panel of judges will interview the finalists and select one winner from each award category for the 95th National FFA Convention & Expo, held in Indianapolis this fall. The four winners will be announced during the convention.
Case IH, Elanco Animal Health, Pepsico Inc., and Syngenta sponsor the American FFA Degree recognition program.
The finalists are:
American Star Farmer
- Peter Bliss from the Merced-Golden Valley FFA Chapter in California
- Blake Frascht from the Charles City FFA Chapter in Iowa
- Zane Hagemeyer from the Elmwood FFA Chapter in Ohio
- Emily Makos from the FFA Juda Chapter in Wisconsin
- American Star in Agribusiness
- Terrance Crayton from the Wetumpka FFA Chapter in Alabama
- Kaitlyn Hart from the Colquitt County FFA Chapter in Georgia
- Cotton Booker the from Colfax FFA Chapter in Washington
- Haden Handley from the Buffalo FFA Chapter in West Virginia
- American Star in Agricultural Placement
- Case Edwards from the Wetumpka FFA Chapter in Alabama
- Cory Yarbrough from the Madison County High School FFA Chapter in Georgia
- Jacob Wuebker from the Versailles FFA Chapter in Ohio
- Emma Victery from the Chickasha FFA Chapter in Oklahoma
American Star in Agriscience
- Danae Westra from Visalia-Central Valley Christian FFA Chapter in California
- Marin Lonnee from Oconee County High FFA Chapter in Georgia
- Sydney Hefty from the Dekalb FFA Chapter in Indiana
- Ryan Hess from the Stephenville FFA Chapter in Texas
Visit FFA.org/Stars for more information about the American Star Awards.
The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 735,000 student members as part of 8,817 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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