Johnson County FFA Member Hannah Dugger named State FFA Sentinel for 2012-2013

Inspiration can come in many forms, including a conversation with a Norwegian customer randomly. This encounter has shaped Hannah Dugger’s, the newly elected sentinel of the Tennessee FFA Association, opinion on diversity.

B.J. was a retired worker for the Norwegian Cruise Line where he worked for 43 years as an electrician and fleet supervisor. Furthermore, he has been one of only 200,000 people to ever set foot on the continent of Antarctica.

“As I talked to B.J., the word ‘diversity’ instantly took on a new meaning,” Dugger said. “Diversity is not just a difference in look or ethnicity. Diversity is a difference in stories, a difference in experiences and a difference in the way we live life.”
As a conclusion to the 84th Tennessee State FFA Convention in Gatlinburg, Dugger was elected State FFA Sentinel for 2012-2013.

Joining Dugger to serve as state FFA officers for 2012-2012 are Stephen McBride of the Coffee Country FFA Chapter as state president, Maryanna McClure of the Duersburg FFA Chapter as state vice president- west, John Adam Turner of the Warren County FFA Chapter as state vice president-middle, Jessie Campbell of the Sweetwater FFA Chapter as state vice president- east, Mitch Baker of the Baxter FFA Chapter as state secretary, Grant Saum of the McNairy FFA Chapter as state treasurer and Christy Chicas of the Station Camp FFA Chapter as state reporter.

“I hope to inspire other FFA members this year to never, never, never quit,” Dugger said. “There are so many things in life we don’t accomplish because we give up on them. But, I want members to know everything is attainable if they just keep trying.”
Dugger is currently a senior and plans to attend the University of Tennessee- Knoxville and major in agricultural education and political science. She is the daughter of Tracey and Julies Dugger and her agricultural education instructors and FFA advisors are Thomas Boyd, Harvey Burniston, Jr., Tracy Dugger and Kenneth McQueen. Farm Bureau Insurance sponsored the entire state officer selection process.

For the next year, Dugger and her state officer peers will be the face and spirit of FFA. Collectively, they will travel thousands of miles throughout the state as they engage top leaders in business, government and education and lead a host of personal growth and leadership training seminars for FFA members. The team will also help set policies that will shape the future of the Tennessee FFA Association and promote agricultural literacy in general.
News Release- Sentinel

Johnson County FFA Member Earns Landscape Management Proficiency Award

Matt Hicks of the Johnson County FFA Chapter earned first-place honors in the Tennessee Association FFA Landscape Management Proficiency Award area during the 84^th Tennessee State FFA Convention on April 3.

The landscape management proficiency award is designed to recognize students who are involved in a supervised agricultural experience in which the student owns the enterprise or works for a business that includes experiences of planting and maintaining plants and shrubs, landscaping and outdoor beautification, grounds keeping, sprinkler installations and improvement of recreational areas.

The Johnson County FFA member’s  agricultural education instructors and FFA advisors are Thomas Boyd, Harvey Burniston, Jr., Tracey Dugger and Kenneth McQueen.  This award is sponsored on the state level by the Tennessee FFA Foundation.

63 programs recognized as Superior Chapter winners

More than 60 FFA Chapter from across the state earned top honors by being named a Superior Chapter during the first session of the Tennessee State FFA Convention.

Chapter that compete and document at least 15 activities receive the State Superior Award. They are also eligible to compete for the state’s Gold, Silver and Bronze chapter awards. The state’s top three gold chapter award winners will compete for the National FFA Chapter Award in October in Indianapolis, Ind.

State Officer Candidate Hannah Dugger

Hannah Dugger- Johnson County FFA Chapter

I have met many fascinating customers through my SAE work, but I met one man that changed the way I look at life. This man was named B.J., and he was from Norway.

I thought finally getting to meet someone from such a fascinating place was pretty incredible to begin with. As I talked to this man, I learned that he was retired, but worked for Norwegian Cruise lines for 43 years as an electrician, and eventually was promoted to supervisor of a fleet. He has been one of only 200,000 people who has stepped foot on Antarctica, and his father was a whaler (someone who hunted whales for a living).

As I was talking to B.J., the word “diversity” instantly took on a new meaning. Diversity is not just a difference in looks or ethnicity. Diversity is a difference in stories, a difference in experiences, and a difference in the way we live life.

FFA is diverse in the same way. Through my involvement, I have met so many people who live life differently, but when we are meshed to form a youth led organization of  more then 540,000 members, we perform beautifully. Every single FFA member has a different story, and might believe different things, but if everyone were the same, would FFA be as powerful in the lives of students as it is today?

2012 Tennessee FFA Foundation Scholarship Recipients Announced

The Tennessee FFA Foundation awards more than 30 scholarships each year to FFA members. The 2012 Tennessee FFA Foundation Scholarship winners are listed below. Following the list is a prepared news release to be sent to local media outlets to announce student success.