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Nw Ulm FFA attends national FFA convention

NUHS?alum Mariah Vogel earns FFA American Degree

Photo submitted The New Ulm FFA Chapter at the 90th Annual National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana the last full week of October. Pictured left to right, front row: Audra Bastian, Hannah Altmann, Claire Bastian, Sam Kohn, Carter Brandes, Cassie Reed, Kendra VanDeest; back row: Levi Kletscher, Dustin Scheibel, Kyle Brunner, Zach Hoffmann, Nic Syverson, Katrina Vogel, Jacob Radloff

NEW ULM — An alumna of the New Ulm Public High School and member of the FFA Chapter earned the FFA’s highest degree in October.

The FFA (Future Farmers of America) held its national convention at the end of October, where, among other things, Mariah Vogel was announced as a recipient of the American Degree.

“I was super excited,” Vogel said. “I have always been big into FFA. I really got involved my first year, the New Ulm FFA is just a really good chapter. I remember my senior year I got my state degree and my advisor goes ‘well don’t stop there, you can still get your American degree.'”

While Vogel herself was unable to attend due to career conflicts, 14 members of the New Ulm chapter did attend, including Vogel’s sister Katrina.

FFA is structured into degrees, with the chapter awarding three, the state association awarding a state degree and the American Degree being conferred onto elite members of the organization, according to the Official FFA Manual. Only about 1 percent of members achieve an American Degree, according to the FFA website.

As part of the degree, Vogel had to participate in a Supervised Agricultural Experience. She worked at Olmar Farms a dairy outside of Sleepy Eye.

There she worked milking cows, tending to calves and doing general labor to care for cattle. She said the biggest lesson she learned there and in FFA is communication is key.

“My time as a regional officer, the big thing that everybody should learn, and a big thing that I learned, is communication,” Vogel said. “Communication is so important. Communication is vital to anything and everything that you do later on in life.”

Vogel served as the region seven sentinel and president of the New Ulm chapter her senior year.

She is currently studying environmental law enforcement with a minor in criminal justice at the University of Wisconsin, Steven’s Point.

“I have no doubt in my mind that I would not be here today, or be the person I am today without FFA,” Vogel said. “It is a premier youth-leadership organization.”

The 14 chapter members who did go, enjoyed exploring the career fair, hearing from keynote speaker Lalia Ali (daughter of the famous boxer and activist Muhammed Ali) and attending a performance by Rascal Flatts, according to a press release from Chapter Recorder Zach Hoffmann.

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