Atwater FFA students earn state degrees

A total of 17 Atwater High School FFA students earned their state FFA degree during the Central Region State FFA Degree Ceremonies held at Modesto Junior College on March 28.

The state degree is the highest degree a student can earn at the state level and is only presented to a small percentage of 67,000-member FFA. Requirements for the degree include a minimum of two years of agriculture course work and 24 months of active FFA membership, supervised agriculture experience projects, earnings and investments of at least $1,000 or at least 500 unpaid hours outside of class time, leadership activity involvement, active in school and agriculture activities, and the students must carry a satisfactory scholastic record.

The Atwater High School students who earned their degree included Emily Beresford, Timothy Demma, Brian Dennis, Marisa Jorge, Samuel Lord-Huff, Corey Mesa, Jacob Minor, Richard Ornelas, Stephanie Quintana, Mason Rose, Vannessa Seville, Nicole Sharafian, Tawny Smith, Amanda Solis, James Summerton, Christina Willman and Matt Woods.

For more information on agricultural education and the FFA, go online to www.AtwaterFFA.org.

-- Carol Reiter

This story was originally published April 4, 2011 at 9:48 AM with the headline "Atwater FFA students earn state degrees."