On Sept. 1 two Dover Area High School (DAHS) graduates earned American Degrees. This degree in FFA is the highest degree available for nationwide FFA members. 

Depending on your agricultural experience, leadership skills and community involvement members show, any member could achieve a degree. DAHS 2022 graduate Grace Benton is one of the recipients of this year’s American Degree. Benton explains what FFA means to her as a whole. She said, “FFA isn’t just an organization, it’s a family and a community. I have met some of the greatest people and friendships through FFA. FFA has also prepared me the most for real life leadership skills that I needed to succeed after high school.”

The other recipient of the American Degree is DAHS 2021 graduate, Caleb Staples. Staples explained FFA through his view too. “I grew up on an 80 acre farm on the outskirts of Dover, and all through my childhood I heard about the experiences my grandfather and mother had in Dover FFA during their time in high school. I hold tradition very near to myself, so I naturally grew up waiting to follow in my family’s footsteps. As I grew older, I learned more about the career benefits that FFA offers to its members, and that had sealed the deal for me.”

Benton had also explained FFA in simplified terms. “FFA is an student lead organization that combines in class learning, out of class hands on learning and application of that knowledge in competitions that gets students ready for the real world whether they are going into an agricultural career or not.” 

If you aren’t into agriculture as a whole, by still joining FFA, students can learn real life skills for when they are adults.