NYM senior was one of just 377 people to receive degree

By Tucker Henderson

Reporter

It’s not common to receive a Minnesota FFA State Degree, in fact only 377 recipients were awarded one this past month during the State Convention on April 20-21. With requirements including two years of agricultural education and a great deal of investment of time into a project outside of scheduled class time among others, the degree is awarded only to those who show an exceptional level of hardwork and dedication.

This year, New York Mills High School senior Audrey Weller, who is the daughter of Brad and Bridget Weller, was awarded that very degree during a special ceremony in the Twin Cities. She has been a member of the FFA organization since eighth grade and has been involved in a variety of projects.

“I felt very honored,” said Weller of receiving the degree. “I worked a lot to get the State Degree, not many people get it. It’s a very cool thing, the ceremony was very nice and well organized. We were at the convention program and we got called backstage and got our certificate and then got in a line to go onstage and shake hands with the state officer. They announced my name in the whole arena, that was insane, it felt so amazing.”

As a part of Weller’s eligibility requirements for the State Degree, she worked on her grandparent’s farm south of town, something that she has been doing since she was little.

“I’ve grown up on my grandparents’ farm since I was a little girl,” she said. “I used to help my grandpa in the old barn and now they have their new robotic farm, so now I help them feed calves there and I got into showing cattle with their animals. I really loved the animals, just getting to grow with them.

“One year, I’d be showing them at a young age and then they’d be old the next year, but I’d still show them an I can still find them in the barn,” she continued. “Agriculture has been a really important part of my life, I grew up with it and I don’t know where I’d be without it.”

Weller joined FFA in eighth grade after learning more about it in an agriculture class. She didn’t know whether she wanted to be a part of the program in the beginning, so she asked her mom for advice.

“I talked to my mom and she was like, ‘you should just do it, your grandpa was in it, your cousins are in it.’ My grandpa had talked about it and all the important things he had done through FFA and the cool experiences, so I joined. I was always seeing FFA members doing something, so I was like, ‘I’m going to do this.’ I’m so glad I joined.”

One of Weller’s favorite highlights over the years has been making it to the state convention where she has competed in both dairy judging and farm business management. She also looks forward to the camaraderie that comes along with the convention each year.

“When I first started, I was in dairy judging, and the first year I did it, I made it to state, but the next year I didn’t make it to state, so I switched it up because I still wanted to go to state convention,” said Weller. “So I switched to farm business management and I’ve been there ever since. It’s two tests that you have to take, it gets to be long, but it’s much easier than dairy judging for me.

“Making it to state has really been exciting,” she continued. “Just the excitement and we have so much fun because it’s really about building relationships with your classmates. I’ve become so close with some of them through going to the state convention and having our contests together.”

As advice to her underclassmen, Weller encourages anyone interested in the FFA organization to join and enjoy the growth and fun that comes along with it.

“I’d say just do it,” she said, “You grow, you become different, but in such a good way and you just get out here and learn so much. You have so many opportunities through FFA.

“Just put yourself out there and don’t be afraid to go to something,” she continued. “It might seem scary, but just do it, you never know the experience of opportunities you’re going to have from that.”