New York FFA was something to be proud of October 19-22 in Indianapolis, IN.  Nearly 400 students and teachers committed to putting belief into action in pursuit of excellence at the 84th National FFA Convention.  Below are the details of just what NY FFA accomplished throughout the week.

 

Students from across New York State let out cries of delight on Saturday afternoon when one of their own, Ken Quick, Jr, of Granville, NY, was named the National Eastern Region Vice President of the National FFA Organization. Quick is the first student from New York to accomplish this task in 15 years and his accomplishments certainly did not begin there. As a freshman in high school, he helped to begin the FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapter in his school and worked tirelessly to create a program where students, himself included, could succeed. Quick served as the Granville FFA Chapter Vice President and President, and the New York State FFA President before being selected to represent the 18 state Eastern region for a coming year of service.

With the current emphasis on STEM education, teachers across the nation are encouraged to prepare students for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Michele Sutton, an agricultural educator in Ithaca, NY, needed no such encouragement to engage her students in a world of possibilities through science.

As a boy, Jeff Simmons grew up on a grape farm in Penn Yan, NY. He enrolled in agriculture classes, was a member of the FFA and was the National Eastern Region Star Agribusinessman in 1987 because of his supervised agricultural experience. Today, Simmons is the president of Elanco Animal Health and the 2011 Agribusiness Leader of the Year.