FFA has many different opportunities and can open up doors for many new friendships and potential career paths. Throughout the entire school year thus far, FFA has hosted, competed, and appeared in many different extracurricular activities and events. 

  According to Sterling FFA President Brady Shank, “The FFA is open to everyone and anyone who is enrolled in an Ag class. FFA lets you get very involved with the community, gain relationships, and learn real life skills you will use forever.” 

  The FFA is a large organization with many activities and opportunities.

  The Sterling FFA chapter is made up of three different positions: the Officers, Greenhand Officers, and Chapter Members. Officers are sophomore-senior members who are voted in to take on an officer position in FFA. Greenhand Officers are very similar, except they are exclusively first-year members, therefore generally Freshmen or Sophomores. 

   Sterling FFA Chapter Members are any student who is currently taking an agriculture class at S.H.S.; this also applies to all officers. The advisors for FFA are Jacqueline Walters and Meg Stanley, who are both current agriculture teachers here at S.H.S. 

  Walters shared, “It’s exciting to have more FFA members participate in events. Ever since COVID we have been building our program back up, and it’s nice to see students more involved in leadership activities.” FFA generally hosts one chapter-wide meeting per month, these are referred to as ‘Chapter Meetings’ or ‘FFA Bashes.’

  To kick off the year, Sterling FFA hosted an ice cream social for parents and new members as its August Chapter Meeting. The purpose of this event was to get in touch with new members and their families, this helped familiarize students with FFA.

  In September, FFA looked to host AITC (Ag in the Classroom) activities with students at the local elementary schools. In order to prepare for this event, current FFA members prepared the activity boxes during this chapter meeting. 

  Later that month, FFA ran two separate fundraising events. First, FFA had a Culver’s Share Night at Culver’s in Rock Falls. During this event, FFA members took food out to customers’ cars and maintained the cleanliness of Culver’s. In return, the FFA was awarded a percentage of revenue from that night. Shortly thereafter, FFA hosted a Pork-Chop Drive-Thru Dinner. At this event, customers could buy pork-chop sandwich meals. These two events are just some of the fundraisers that FFA hosts.

  In October, the monthly chapter meeting was put-on in Walters’ classroom. During this meeting, members carved pumpkins and took them home. Later that month, some members of FFA took a trip to the National FFA Convention. 

  The National Convention is the largest event put on by FFA each year. Here, members were awarded for their achievements, visited businesses, volunteered, went to various events, and learned more about FFA and its many opportunities.

  During November, FFA participated in multiple career and leadership events. Each year, the FFA has an event known as Leadership Training School (LTS). Here, members learn about leadership and how to maintain better communication skills with others within the FFA, and life.

  The next day, FFA members took a trip to a career fair in Oregon, Ill. At this event, members learned about different opportunities that are at their disposal, everything from crop science or insurance to biomechanical engineering degrees at various colleges.

  To wrap up this semester, the FFA hosted its yearly gift exchange in December. At this event, members bring a gift worth around $15. However, there is always a twist with our gifts. This year, the gift needed to be blue. Everything from socks to candles are exchanged, this event really brings the chapter together to end the year.

  FFA has many opportunities, with this, it brings great opportunities to learn, make new friends, and find out what you’d like to do with your life, potentially in an Ag related field.