LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Several Lubbock high school students returned from the FFA National Convention in Indianapolis with awards.
Frenship Memorial senior Karter Bowen is the Area 1 first vice president. Bowen served as a Texas delegate at the convention and said he was on a committee. Bowen also described a business session held during the week.
Bowen won at the state level for swine production placement proficiency and placed in the top four nationally.
Amanda Spacek is one of the teachers who helped Bowen get to that point. Spacek said she teaches students to be leaders and prepares them to enter the workforce, beyond teaching agriculture.
“So, the students are actually able to come participate in a service activity while we’re at the national convention and work to do a lot of things service-related here at home in Lubbock,” Spacek said. “So, they learn the value of that and the value of giving back to our community.”
Ryan Pieniazek is the lead ag science teacher at Frenship High School. He traveled to Indianapolis to help his students with their achievements and received an award himself: the Honorary American Degree, the highest honorary degree that can be given.
“It felt really good, you know. In the end, I think any ag teacher would say it’s never about the ag teacher, it’s always about the students,” Pieniazek said.
“So it does feel good to be recognized for the things that you’ve, you know, you’ve helped students accomplish,” he said.
Chapter earns national rating
The Frenship FFA chapter has been established for two years. In that time, it received a three-star national chapter rating, the highest rating a chapter can receive.
Less than 10% of FFA chapters nationwide receive a rating from the National FFA Organization. This is the first time a first-year chapter has received the rating in Texas.
A chapter member identified Arlea Margic said the recognition was rewarding.
“It is really rewarding. And it’s such an honor to see that, like, genuinely all the time that we put in, the hours, the months, the amount of paperwork that we do here,” Margic said. “It’s such an honor to really get recognized at that national level.”
Pieniazek said fewer people are entering farming and that students are needed to lead.
“And I think we’re living in a time when we have fewer and fewer people entering farming,” Pieniazek said. “But we’re in a time also where we need students that can step up and be the leaders to find new ways to grow crops, and to feed a growing population.”
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