The Meeker FFA Chapter is one of 10 national finalists for the 2020 Model of Excellence, presented by the National FFA Organization.
Meeker Ag teacher Logan Johns said he is proud of his students and humbled to be a part of this journey with them.
“Nothing is more rewarding than seeing these students receive the recognition they deserve,” he said.
In order to qualify for the National Finals, the chapter must receive the National Three-Star Award.
“We expected to get the national three-star award, but for us to get the top 10 in the nation was exhilarating,” Meeker FFA chapter president Connor Benn said. “Every time I talk about it I get goosebumps.”
After getting the job at Meeker, Johns met with the chapter officials and set this as a goal.
“At our chapter officer retreat last year, we made it a goal to make national three-star chapter,” Benn said. “And we did that, but we exceeded it by getting National Model of Excellence.”
Johns said he is a firm believer that he works with the best of the best and hopes this will bring a sense of tradition to the chapter that Meeker FFA sets the bar for excellence.
“What you’re doing in a small town like Meeker has relevance on a national level,” he said.
Johns said they are preparing to be named the best chapter in the nation.
“We’ll be going to compete in October to see who is actually the best out of the top 10,” Benn said. “We had a well-rounded Program of Activities rather than just having strong areas in growing leaders, building communities and strengthening . We had the strongest out of all of those.”
Johns said they will be selecting a few students to represent Meeker FFA on a national level.