Tuesday, July 23, 2024
Hannah Gustin of Jonesboro recently received her Lonestar Degree at the annual Texas FFA State Convention, which was held in Houston this past week.
The State Degree, called a Lonestar Degree in Texas, is the highest award the state level organization can bestow upon members. The National FFA Organization states that, of total membership, only three percent of members receive this award based on eligibility requirements.
With there being over 700,000 members nationally, this is a huge accomplishment for Gustin.
Gustin has been in FFA since her third-grade year at Jonesboro Independent School District.
“Getting my Lone Star degree meant a lot to me,” she said. I’m not able to compete in sports, so showing has always been important to me; Being recognized for all my years of hard work was really special.”
To receive your Lone Star Degree, a lengthy application needs to be competed that is a running record of your FFA accomplishments and projects. Once the application is finished, it must pass through the district, area, and then state levels to get approved.
This means that not just her family and school recognize the years of dedication to showing and FFA, but several committees do as well.
Gustin’s mother, Kendra Byrom, who also happens to be the principal at Jonesboro ISD, expressed that since having both knees surgically repaired in the last two years, she has had to adjust the way she works with her lambs.
“Many kids would have given up, but not her,” Byrom said. “She just works harder.”
Gustin expressed that FFA is important to her because anyone can find a way to be involved and find an avenue to shine.
“You can work hard at showing animals, compete in competitions academically, or even sing in talent contests,” she said. “People don’t know just how many avenues of competition FFA offers and the doors for scholarships and after high school jobs it opens up; it’s a wonderful community that supports all kids.”
“It’s really nice to see Hannah recognized for all of her years of hard work,” Byrom said. “This degree is just one more way to show her that all that hard work has paid off.”
FFA is a dynamic, student-led leadership development organization for students of agricultural education. The FFA organization makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.
