St. Marys FFA designated as a Top Ten FFA Program

Making the Top Ten FFA Program in the State of Ohio is something that St. Marys FFA Chapter has been able to celebrate a lot.

“This is our fifth or sixth year in a row being in the top ten. I think that kids are moving forward all the time,” said Lucy Bambauer, St. Marys’ Agricultural Education Instructor and FFA Advisor.

In order to be recognized as a top ten FFA chapter in the state have to go through an application process.

“We write an application that features nine different activities, in three different divisions,” explained Bambauer. Those activities each have to meet a different quality standard, so that all nine of the activities don’t serve the same purpose. “Every chapter approaches it differently. All of our officers outside of the Secretary, Treasurer, and Reporter are responsible for writing the application.”

Once the application is finished, it is sent off to a group of about 50 Ag teachers who score the applications via rubric.

“The don’t rank them, but they say they’re a top ten chapter,” said Bambauer. She explained that for the overall top ten aren’t given numerical rankings, but chapters are made aware they’re within the top ten. For the subcategories though, they will name a top chapter. “We are in the top ten for the Growing Leaders category, and two of our officers did an interview on Wednesday to further the Chapter in that area.”

“We did a Life Skills 101 Class, Club and Class Fair for incoming 9th graders, and an Organ Donation Awareness Week,” said the chapter’s outgoing President Molly Schlosser. She went on to explain each of the projects, their purpose, and their impacts. “Its the most

amazing feeling to know that your program is successful, and that you’re building something that is making a difference.”

Bambauer said that she thinks it means a lot to the kids of the chapter as well.

“I think it means that the kids were able to plan and execute a program of activities, that was effective and reached a diverse group of people,” explained Bambauer before continuing. “We didn’t just focus on agriculture, community, or leadership. Our activities were able to reach different people.”

Schlosser also takes pride in the chapter’s work.

“It means so much to me because we work so hard as a chapter to make a difference in the community. The fact we’re top ten in Growing Leadership, that we’re making that difference we’ve been pushing for and that work has paid off,” said Schlosser.

This was Bambauer’s last top ten with the FFA as she has accepted a role as guidance counselor at the school. She said that leaving the program, and her students, will be tough, but that she will continue to serve students in her new role.

“I feel like our activities really fit the needs of our community and our stakeholders. Sometimes those activities that we put a lot of value in, don’t necessarily score well on a rubric, just because they’re not as complex as some of the other activities,” said Bambauer.

“I want it to continue growing. I’ve worked as hard as I can to make it as successful as possible. Now that I’m gone, I want to see more people step up and grow as leaders, and for our chapter to overall, be more successful,” said Schlosser.