41 SD FFA members earn the golden key
Forty-one South Dakota FFA members received the coveted gold American Degree key, the highest degree awarded by the National FFA Organization. This final step in the FFA Degree system encourages students to grow, achieve, and establish themselves in an agricultural career. Attaining the American FFA Degree requires a solid commitment to agriculture and FFA. This honor recognizes demonstrated leadership abilities and outstanding achievements in agricultural business, production, processing and service programs. Recipients must have earned $7,500 through a supervised agricultural experience program and productively invested those earnings.
Only about one half of one percent of the total national membership attains this high honor. The recipients were honored at a reception on Nov. 1 at the 87th National FFA Convention in Louisville, KY. South Dakota’s gold key recipients included:
Clay Abrahamson, De Smet
Taylin Albrecht, De Smet
Zachary Bies, McCook Central
Kallan Christman, Clark
Tyler Derouchey, Hoven
Cheyenne Edmundson, Garretson
Matt Eichacker, McCook Central
Seth Engen, Viborg-Hurley
Anthony Even, West Central
Abigail Flanders, Harrisburg
Justin Halse, Florence
Reid Kaiser, Hoven
Alysha Kientopf, Garretson
Natasha Krempges, McCook Central
Jorry Lammers, West Central
Austin Larson, De Smet
Shala Larson, Webster
Cole Lauck, McCook Central
Anthony Lueth, West Central
Stefani Matthies, McCook Central
Jason Mehlhaf, Menno
Ellen Minihan, Brandon Valley
Nicholas Mueller, Garretson
Melissa Nelson, McCook Central
Brandi Niedert, Milbank
Gerrit Pearson, West Central
Lacey Quail, Deubrook
Brandon Reif, McCook Central
Courtney Rickett, Harrisburg
Samantha Rothschadl, Viborg-Hurley
Emily Schallenkamp, McCook Central
Maty Skinner, West Central
Jean Skoglund, McCook Central
Lexi Slack, Viborg-Hurley
Krista Smit, Lennox Sundstrom
Audrey Souza, Milbank
Ashley Tonak, Willow Lake
Logan Tonak, Willow Lake
Ethan VanderWal, Sioux Valley
Beau Wensing, Florence
Cordell Wobig, McCook Central