MANHATTAN – A total of 67 members from the Southeast district were awarded their State FFA Degree during the 97th Kansas FFA Convention, May 28–30, on the Kansas State University campus.
Five Eureka Junior/ Senior High School students were among those receiving degrees, including 2025 graduates Cody Johnson and Corinne Nelson and incoming seniors Miley Baumgartel, Hannah Perrier and TJ Mills.
The state degree is the highest honor the Kansas FFA Association can bestow upon its members. In order to achieve this award, members must meet the following requirements: have received their Chapter FFA Degree, been an FFA member and agricultural education student for at least two years, earned at least $2,000, or worked 600 hours in their Supervised Agricultural Experience program, given a six-minute speech about agriculture or FFA, participated in eight different leadership activities, received a “C” average or better in high school and shown a record of outstanding leadership and community involvement.
The members who met these qualifications and their respective FFA chapters from the Southeast district are: Chanute – Addie Finley, Reed Hurt, Tinley Solomon, Wyatt Stephenson, Violet Stich; Cherryvale – Walker Erbe, Weston Erbe, Kole Traylor, LiliAnn Whittley; Columbus – Gracie Hall, Madisen Rand; Eureka – Baumgartel, Johnson, Mills, Nelson, Perrier; Fredonia – Ashton Oneal, Kolin Unruh; Girard – Josie Gronau; Independence – Madelin Beshear; Iola – Carly Kramer; Labette County – Zaylain Baldwin, Sierra Hill, Lucy Pearson, Jaya Fiscus, Cashlee Smith, Pyper White, Lily Wiley; Madison – Sadie Albert, Bayleigh Benjamin, Sadie Davis, Octavian Dean, Reese Hurlburt, Caylin Luthi, Hope Miller, Kamdynn White; Marmaton Valley – Sophia Heim; Neodesha – Delaney Bradford, Maggie Chandler, Zain Kaufman, Jenna Meseraull, Tucker Leck; Riverton – Gavin Boyes, Genevieve Elliot, Sydney Moore, Kendel Root, Riley Sturgis; Uniontown – Maria Cibrian, Jewel Endicott, Colter Powell, Seth Shadden, Klara Stock; West Elk – Molly Harshman, Baylee Hogan, Edward Metcalf, Jared Tucker, Garett Usry, Brock Baumgartel, Rachel Humphrey, Elizabeth Woods; Yates Center – Kevin Brown, Clayton Culver, Micol Dixon, Madison Hall, Blake Morrison, Lauren Schultz, Wylee Shaffer. Each state degree recipient received a state degree charm — a symbol of the member’s growth and development — sponsored by Kansas Electric Cooperatives. Pictured at left from left to right are: Baumgartel, Johnson, Nelson and Perrier. Mills was unable to attend due to the State Track and Field meet.
(Courtesy photo)
