Waitsburg FFA members honord at annual banquet

WAITSBURG – The Waitsburg FFA chapter held its annual banquet in Waitsburg Elementary's multipurpose room on Tuesday, May 21. It is the 91st anniversary of the Waitsburg Chapter. The banquet honored FFA students in numerous categories.

Waitsburg Chapter President Makenna Barron welcomed the parents, community, and students. Attendees enjoyed desserts as officers awarded certificates and pins to FFA members. Community members and Businesses were recognized. The chapter recognized high school staff Kathy Pradere and Matt Elder as honorary FFA members.

Extemporaneous Public Speaking:  Alyssa Hollingsworth and Hannah Peralez.

Vet Science:  Abbi Paolino, Maron Duncan, Cedar Stegall, Sarah Daves, Sarah Wilson.

Ag Mechanics: Quinn Benavides, Hollingsworth, William Daves, Brenton Segraves, Tyler Coulston, Trace Nesje, Mason Rosenberger, Akayden Mikesell, Kaden Cole, Tegan Largent and Rollin Carpenter.

Agricultural Education:  Barron

Prepared Public Speaking:  Chasity Paddock, Stegall, and Duncan.

First-year Members:  Peralez, Nesje, Mahre, A Mikesell, Pilar Diaz-Easton, Landon Henry, Kayla Mikesell, Emerson Underwood, Kenzie Castillo and Griffen Hinchliffe.

Conduct of Chapter Meetings:  Diaz-Easton, Hinchliffe, Castillo, K. Mikesell, Nesje, and Underwood.

Employment Skills: Bailey Standring, Paddock, and Jessika Lambert.

Rangeland Evaluation:  Gavin Mikesell, Nesje, Duncan, Stegall, K. Mikesell and Mahre

Beginning Parliamentary Procedure:  Barron, Hollingsworth, Benavides, Duncan, Stegall, and Jackson Karl.

Middle School Food Science: Chloe McCaw, G. Mikesell, Ellie Teal. Camdyn Vories and M. Mikesell.

Discovery FFA Degree:  Vories, Gabe Segraves, M. Mikesell, G. Mikesell, McCaw, Teal and Joaquim Beckman.

Star Discovery: Gavin Mikesell

Greenhand Degree: A. Mikesell, K. Mikesell, Blake Benavides, Carpenter, Matti Carter, Castillo, Diaz-Easton, Coulston, Cole, Blake French, Hinchliffe, Victor Whitmore, Largent, Mahre, Nesje, Peralez, and Underwood.

Star Green Hand: Underwood and K. Mikesell.

Chapter FFA Degree: Tucker Hamilton, Koyen Fortune, Segraves, S. Daves, Wilson and Karissa Potts.

Star Chapter FFA: Sara Wilson

Dekalb Agriculture Accomplishment Award:  Makenna Barron

State Degree: Quinn Benavides and Bailey Standring

FFA Pride awards: Most Valuable – Trace Nesje, Most Inspirational – Isaac Mahre. Most Active Officers: Quinn Benavides and Makenna Barron.

Most Active Member: William Daves. 

Most Community Service hours: Reuben Yutzy

Chapter Scholastic Achievement Recognition: Rollin Carpenter, Karissa Potts, and Bailey Standring (all have a 4.0 GPA)

Senior Recognition: Makenna Barron, Quinn Benavides, Abbi Paolino, Bailey Standring, and Reuben Yutzy.

Waitsburg High School alumnus David Danforth (1978) and his mother, Barbara, attended the banquet to award the first annual Danforth Farms Scholarship for outstanding accomplishments in FFA and agriculture at Waitsburg High School. David was the chapter President and a State Farmer in 1978. Danforth's family are all WHS graduates: dad, the late Bob Danforth (1947), mom (1948), brother Rob (1973), and sister Susie (1975).

Danforth believes in the future of farming.  He congratulated and thanked the seniors completing their education at WHS with knowledge and skills gained in FFA.

Danforth thanked FFA Advisor Nicole Abel for her outstanding leadership and for being a resource for all WHS FFA members, teaching them the skills that will help them in the future.  Danforth also thanked retired WHS AG teacher Scott Branson, who was in attendance. Branson started as an FFA Advisor in 1974. Branson's guidance and passion have helped young people and many FFA members in different ways.  "Here we are 50 years later, continuing the passion for FFA," said Danforth.

"Agriculture in Washington State has never been more important than it is today and moving forward," said Danforth. He added, "Agriculture is truly a growth business, and you as future leaders will make this happen going forward...crops, water, power, equipment, technology, the environment and food."

The Danforth Farms Scholarship is guaranteed through the Blue Mountain Community Foundation to award $2,000 every year to an outstanding FFA member in Waitsburg. Congratulations to Makenna Barron. Barron was also recognized as the newly elected 2024-2025 FFA State Treasurer.

The FFA Advisor Nicole Abel announced the new chapter officers. President Alyssa Hollingsworth, Vice-President Cedar Stegall, Secretary Hannah Peralez, Treasurer Kayla Mikesell, Reporter Trace Nesje, and Sentinel Sara Daves will serve for the 2024-2025 school year.

Waitsburg FFA Chapter has been recognized as a Superior Chapter and State Gold National Chapter as they have met the goals the National Chapter Award Program set forth. The Waitsburg Chapter will now compete for the National FFA Star Chapter Awards.

The senior chapter officers retired their jackets, and new Chapter President Hollingsworth and Secretary Peralez closed the ceremony.