For so many high school seniors, the next few weeks would have been graduation. The moment they should have been surrounded by their loved ones, cheering them on — instead, they will now watch their name flash across the screen. Even those school districts who are able to reschedule graduation and prom will still have to celebrate with social distancing regulations and have to create an alternative plan. That means no cheering when you get your certificate, no shaking hands with the principal, no group hugs afterwards — but they do have the support of their community. The Seniors Class of 2020 will always have a special place in our hearts, especially the graduating members of the National FFA Organization.
This past month, FFA advisors from across the country have been reaching out to all their students, but especially wanting to show extra love and strength to their seniors. We all know how creative and caring ag advisors can be, but they really went above and beyond this year. FFA advisors have taken the extra time to show their seniors some love with care packages, wooden engraved plaques, videos, signs and so much more over the past few weeks.
Yard signs have been a very popular way to celebrate the Senior Class of 2020. Shelby Thompson with the Ariton FFA Chapter posted on Instagram, “Tears roll down my cheek making this post. I still don’t have the words to express my love for these 7 officers and the advisor they have helped mold me into. Throughout these COVID-19 restrictions the FFA activities have been shut down also, but I wanted to make them feel special! Today, I dropped off road signs and a sweet treat bag. I hope you guys and gals enjoy and one of these days I will get my words together!”
Fairmont FFA seniors got a wood plaque that highlighted their accomplishments from all four years. This is a great keepsake for the seniors and it showcases everything they did while they were involved in the organization.
San Luis Obispo FFA Chapter in California put together a video tribute for their seniors to recognize all their hard work over the past four years. Their advisors emphasized how much love, hard work, and responsibility the seniors have shown over the past four years.
Western Alamance FFA Chapter took to Instagram to spotlight each of their senior FFA members with individualized social media post. A lot of chapters were doing member spotlights during school closures to give the members something to look forward to.
The Center FFA Chapter celebrated their virtual last day of class with each student receiving one letter to open during the last day of virtual Ag. The contents included:
- Confetti: represented something we wanted to celebrate.
- Balloon: represented something we would miss about Ag.
- Seeds: represented our growth.
- Bookmark: represented our relationships in Ag. For the bookmark, the advisor cut up an old dictionary and chose a different word for each student and wrote a note)
FFA advisor, Nikki Fideldy-Doll said, “In virtual class we opened them together and they answered the prompts above. It was a fun way to end virtual learning and may be something I continue in person in the future.”
No matter what FFA advisors did this year, they put their heart and soul into making the best of this pandemic for their students. That is what FFA advisors do each and every year — they are educational rock stars who inspire students, teach about agriculture and life, and gives more than they receive.
