Seniors in Alliance FFA

Hannah Kesterson is 18 years old and has only been in FFA for one year.  Although time with the FFA has been short she has participated in many activities.  These include helping with stadium clean ups, concession stands, taking part in the district Livestock management contest, going to meetings, selling fruit, winning the food science District contest, attending the Rapid City Stock Show, and helping to build floats. She Hannah has enjoyed being able to work with friends and classmates in FFA. She is looking forward to attend State FFA convention and compete in Livestock Management and Food Science.   She also noted that there are a lot of similarities between FFA and 4-H.  Hannah has been very active in 4-H, its easy to see they go hand in hand in leadership development.  This year her supervised agriculture experience program has been her place of employment.  She thinks that being in FFA has helped her learn to lead more and become more active.  After high school she plans to attend college and moving into the medical field, working toward a pharmacy degree.  The advice she gives to first year members is to try hard and do everything that he or she can.  Hannah’s parents are Clint and Kristin Kesterson.

Brittany Walker is 18 years old and has been in the FFA for three years. Brittany’s SAE has included working in food service; she has worked over 800 hours each year.  She has participated in many events including, Impact, Floriculture, Nursery Landscape and Land judging district contests, highway clean ups, food drives, ag fair, selling fruit, Santa’s helpers, concession stands, stadium cleanups, building floats, being on planning committees  and attending Denver/Rapid Stock show.  Brittany also had the opportunity to show her rabbit at county fair this past summer.  Brittany has competed in the areas of Ag Communications and Agriscience  at State Convention and is looking forward to competing in the food science contest this year.   Last year one of the highlights was competing at state FFA conference and the county fair.  When asked what she has enjoyed the most about FFA, her reply, “seeing people excited about FFA and seeing how well we do at competitions”.  Brittany says that she has learned that just about any career you do in the midwest will have something to do with agriculture.  She has also learned many skills that will help her be a better leader.  How has she benefited from ag classes and FFA, “she says she has learned how important agriculture is to our state and many skills in ag areas that she can use.”   Advise for new members is “do as much as you can because you only have so much time before you’ll be moving on”.  After high school Brittany is planning to attend college/tech school in agriculture and wildlife, she would like to study more about wildlife.  Brittany’s parents are Brian and Milly Walker.

Brett Schwaderer, 18, has been a four year member of the Alliance FFA.  Brett serves as reporter this year, as a junior Brett served as sentinel.  Brett has been very active in the FFA. He has participated in COLT, Impact,  ag fair,  highway cleanups, food drives, FFA week activities, parliamentary procedure team, toy show, Husker Harvest days, Denver stock show, Rapid stock show,  floats at the county fair, Heritage Days, and Christmas, and water testing.   He competed at the district MIG welding and placed 3rd, and will represent Alliance at the state Welding contest.  His most memorable FFA activity has been placing 3rd in the State Ag Marketing Plan competition last year.  Bret says that he has learned that it doesn’t matter if you’re a rancher/farmer or even live in town: there is always a place in agriculture for everyone.   He has enjoyed being able to travel and experience different places.  The leadership camps have been quite an experience, they have helped him to face problems and also learn to support others.  What trip he liked the most “Rapid City Stock Show”.   Advise for new members is” if you want to experience the most and have the opportunity become an FFA officer”.

He believes that being involved in FFA has showed him how to grow as a person, but also help him pick out what he would like to do as a career.  He also says that he has learned more about agriculture by taking classes/FFA than he did before.

Bret’s SAE has included working at J & C Lawn Service where he mows lawns in the summer and does snow removal in the winter.  He also assists with upkeep and repair on machines. After high school Bret is planning to go to college to be a Diesel Mechanic, but it will be on the ag side of mechanics if he has his choice. Bret’s parents are Chris and Leslie Romick.