FFA American Degrees Awarded

November 14, 2023

Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture joins UNL at National FFA

By NCTA News

The NCTA and UNL-CASNR recruiting teams joined forces to connect with thousands of FFA members at the 96th Annual Convention in Indianapolis, IN. Several NCTA Aggies were also honored to receive their American Degrees.

Aggies share what the experience meant to them. Morel Jurado, "It was so fun meeting so many students. I had many students stick out to me, but I loved the Nebraska students I met who knew a thing or two about NCTA. American Degree-wise, I was happy to end my FFA journey with yet another accomplishment. During the American Degree Ceremony, I met two kids who knew students currently attending college here. It's a crazy, small world we live in, and NCTA has helped build those connections." 

Kia Brown, "FFA has allowed me to help create positive relationships with youth while developing long-lasting leadership skills. I was thrilled to travel to Indianapolis to receive my American Degree at the National FFA Convention and to represent NCTA at this amazing convention!

Jozlyn Anderson, "With only 1% of FFA members who receive their American degree, being part of that was very special. This organization has done so much for me through the past six years. I am very honored to receive this high of a degree to show all the hard work and dedication I have put into FFA and Agriculture in general."

Wyatt Deemer, "I was thrilled and honored to represent NCTA at the National FFA Convention – ironically, it was THE place where I learned about NCTA a few years ago. The opportunity to spread the word of how great NCTA is, now as a 2nd-year student, was very rewarding and, for me, as an American Degree recipient, the milestone of walking across the stage one last time to receive the highest degree of FFA culminated an unforgettable week!"

Haley Robb, "It was a great opportunity to meet with the future leaders and innovators of the agriculture community, and I can't wait to see the students out on campus within the next year or so." 

Nathaly Dragoo, a recent NCTA graduate working with our recruiting team, shared, "National FFA is an experience I will never forget! Watching so many students from around the country coming together for a convention to represent the future farmers of America was humbling and exciting. Watching the ocean of blue and gold fill Lucas Oil stadium gives me chills, but most importantly, hope for the world. These kids truly are the best of the best."

Dean Larry Gossen led the team; with 45 years of FFA career experiences, he has missed very few national conventions. "This group engaged extremely well with student prospects and took in all the opportunities of the experience. We were fortunate to team up with CASNR this year, which allowed us to learn from their leaders and show prospects the full potential of a Nebraska ag education."

Part of the University of Nebraska system, the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is a two-year institution with a statewide mission of preparing students for successful careers in agriculture, veterinary technology, and related industries. NCTA is known for its affordable tuition, high job-placement rate for its graduates, and student teams' success in competitive activities, including crops judging, ranch horse events, livestock judging, shotgun sports, stock dog trials, and intercollegiate rodeo. The college is consistently ranked as one of the best two-year schools in the nation.

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