This past weekend, the Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter received state evaluations of their Supervised Agriculture Experiences (SAEs) through the FFA Proficiency Award program.

“SAEs are student-led, hands-on projects where students gain real-world experience—such as working in veterinary clinics, managing livestock, or working in agricultural businesses—while tracking their skills, hours, and growth over time,” FFA Advisor Elizabeth Eastep wrote in an email.

FFA chapter members were evaluated in different categories such as Agriculture Services, Veterinary Science, and Beef Production. Lily Hix, Anayah Jackson, Riley Souther, and 2025 graduate Emma Alexander were named State Champions in their SAEs, and Kayla Haase placed 2nd in the state in the Proficiency Award program.

 The chapter earned an overall Gold Rating at the state level for the National Chapter Application and is ranked among the top 24 chapters in Virginia for their accomplishments. These state-winning SAE/Proficiency projects will now be evaluated at the national level over the summer, further representing the accomplishments of the chapter.