The National FFA Organization has announced the 16 finalists for its 2023 top achievement awards: American Star Farmer, American Star in Agribusiness, American Star in Agricultural Placement, and American Star in Agriscience.
The American Star Awards represent the best of the best among thousands of American FFA Degree recipients. The award recognizes FFA members who have developed outstanding agricultural skills and competencies by completing a supervised agricultural experience program. A required activity in FFA, an SAE allows members to learn by doing. Members can own and operate an agricultural business, intern at an agricultural business, or conduct an agriculture-based scientific experiment and report the results.
Other requirements to achieve the award include demonstrating top management skills; completing key agricultural education, scholastic and leadership requirements; and earning an American FFA Degree, the organization’s highest level of student accomplishment.
A panel of judges will interview the finalists and select one winner from each award category for the 96th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis this fall. The four winners will be announced during the convention.
The finalists are:
American Star Farmer
Tanner Mickey from the Taylorville FFA Chapter in Illinois
Daniel Jossund from the Ada-Borup-West FFA Chapter in Minnesota
Luke Jennings from Felicity-Franklin FFA Chapter in Ohio
Callie Welty from the Grandview FFA Chapter in Texas
American Star in Agribusiness
Paxton Boldry from the McCracken County FFA Chapter in Kentucky
Lainey Hutchison from the Crockett County FFA Chapter in Tennessee
Weston Whiteside from the Sam Rayburn-Ivanhoe FFA Chapter in Texas
Joseph Pulver from the Randolph-Cambria-Friesland FFA Chapter in Wisconsin
American Star in Agricultural Placement
Lance Moritz from the Streator FFA Chapter in Illinois
Riley Berger from the Ridgewood FFA Chapter in Ohio
Whitney Glazier from the Omega FFA Chapter in Oklahoma
Jaxson Collier from the Snyder FFA Chapter in Texas
American Star in Agriscience
Jasmyn Hoeger from the Beckman Catholic FFA Chapter in Iowa
George Frees from the Cass Career Center FFA Chapter in Missouri
Audrey Pinter from the Felicity-Franklin FFA Chapter in Ohio
Hadley Stiefvater from the McCook Central FFA Chapter in South Dakota
