National FFA Week – Williamsburg Chapter

The Williamsburg FFA Chapter is advised by Robyn Bechtel. There are 72 students enrolled in agriculture courses this year.

The chapter's 2019-20 officers are:

• Jack Hileman, president

• Adam Uplinger, vice president

• Ashley Brubaker, secretary

• Taylor Uplinger, treasurer

• Gabe Mingle, sentinel

• Elizabeth Frederick, news reporter

• Saxton Smith, chaplain

• Dakota Heeter, student advisor

Year-to-Date Activities

During the spring 2019, the Williamsburg FFA participated in the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Ag Literacy Week, competed at the Blair County Envirothon, helped with Ag Career Days, hosted Ag in the Classroom for the elementary students and attended an Altoona Curve Game.

Over the summer, chapter members went kayaking, attended State Activities week and exhibited animals at the dairy show and livestock show and sale.

Once school resumed in the fall, students held a tailgate before a football game, competed in the county Land Judging Contest and attended the PA FFA Fall Leadership Conference. Students sold fruit, had a Christmas party and organized a volleyball tournament for the student body to benefit Christmas Magic. In January, members attended the PA FFA Mid-Winter Convention to receive their Keystone Degrees and first-year jackets. In February, six students attended the ACES Conference in Harrisburg.

Awards

2019 PA FFA State Activities Week Participants – Vannika Rice (first place, Milk Quality and Products), Elizabeth Frederick (seventh place, Dairy Judging), Dylan Shultz and Branson Heeter, Forestry.

2019 Blair Bedford Fulton Area Degree – Elizabeth Frederick, Dylan James, Makayla Kipe, Ericka Loose, Chelsea Mathieu, Gabe Mingle, Patrick Reed, Todd Shatzer, Dylan Shultz, Taylor Uplinger

2020 Keystone Degrees – Dakota Heeter, Jack Hileman, Jared McCall, Saxton Smith, Adam Uplinger

2020 First-Year Jackets – Foster England, Evan James, Cole Nicewonger, Elijah Shultz

Vannika Rice was named the State Winner and a National Silver Medal Finalist in the FFA Proficiency Area of Agricultural Processing for her work on the family farm.

Upcoming Activities

To celebrate National FFA Week, students will be cooking breakfast for the teachers and having a Minute to Win It tournament. Several students will be preparing speeches for the upcoming contests. Students are also looking forward to Ag in the Classroom, Chapter Banquet, Kayak Trip and State FFA Activities Week.