By Dan M. Dylla, USC FFA Advisor
In addition to contests at the State FFA Convention held April 19-21, 2026 at the UofM campus; State FFA Degrees, Proficiency Awards and other awards were presented to USC FFA members. 5 USC FFA members were recognized individually for Proficiency Award Programs during the convention for earning top honors in the State for their Supervised Ag Projects. USC FFA member Wyatt Rauenhorst was recognized for having the top project in his agricultural project area. Wyatt was named the State FFA Winner for his Ag Sales Entrepreneurship project. The members in attendance to receive an award plaque for placing 2nd or 3rd in the State in their project areas were: Garrett Laue (Ag Mechanics Design and Fabrication), Jayden Barnick (Ag Mechanics Design and Fabrication), Nathan Glenn (Ag Mechanics Repair and Maintenance) and Carissa Hanson (Nursery Operations).
On Monday evening, 11 USC FFA members were awarded the highest level of membership the State of Minnesota FFA can bestow on its members at Mariucci Arena on the University of Minnesota Campus. USC FFA members; Kolt Bullerman, Riley Stevermer, Brayden Mithun, Ivy O’Rourke, Mitchell Meyer, Wyatt Rauenhorst, Julianna Clore, Kade Wigern, Brody Steinhauer, Sydney Sauke and Jayden Barnick were each awarded the State FFA Degree. The degree is awarded to approximately 3% of State FFA members each year. To earn the degree the student needs to have an exceptional ag related project with top notch records. In addition, 45% of the award is for the member’s leadership activities. The ceremony is considered the highlight of the convention because of the hard work, commitment and determination the degree recipients must achieve. The 11 members who earned their degree this year are to be commended on a job well done.
