CLARKSVILLE, Ohio – Three FFA juniors. Three achievers. Three State FFA Degrees.

Sophia Purvis, Hunter Shumaker and John Evans, all members of the Clinton-Massie Great Oaks FFA chapter in Ohio, will receive their State FFA Degrees at the Ohio State FFA Convention in May. They earned thehonor through their dedication to Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects, which require significant hands-on work and commitment to agricultural education.

“We’re fortunate here at Clinton-Massie that we have a boat load of students as driven as this trio with various projects,” said Clinton-Massie High School agriculture teacher and FFA adviser Alexandra Oeder. “It’s awesome to watch them take a project from the very beginning and see it become a State Degree.”

The five FFA degrees, starting with the first and progressing to the highest, are the Discovery FFA Degree, Greenhand FFA Degree, Chapter FFA Degree, State FFA Degree and American FFA Degree.

Discovery FFA Degree is the first a member can earn and is typically for students in 7th and 8th grade who are enrolled in agricultural science classes. The Greenhand FFA Degree is awarded to members in their first year of high school agriculture credit, who have satisfactory plans for a supervised agricultural experience (SAE) program, and who demonstrate an understanding of the FFA’s history and purpose.

The Chapter FFA Degree is awarded to members who have received their Greenhand Degree and meet specific requirements at the chapter level. The State FFA Degree is the highest degree the state association can bestow upon a member, and is awarded after members have received their Chapter degree.

The American FFA Degree is the highest level of active membership within the FFA, awarded at the national level.

Purvis wasn’t raised on a farm. However, her family turned their 5-acre plot into a small farm, so she tends to 15 market animals. Purvis has a dual SAE.

“Market and breeding goats is my main SAE,” she said. “I breed them to show at the fair. We show our market goats at the fair and across Ohio at other shows. The second SAE involves a lemonade stand and I teamed up with my sister to run it. We sell our lemonade at all types of shows across the state.”

Purvis’ college plans are in limbo, but her ambitions are two-fold. The past few years she worked at Sam’s Meats & Deli in nearby Wilmington. That has inspired her to someday own her own deli, one that will offer pastries and fancy drinks, she said. In addition, the thoughts of becoming an ag teacher have crossed her mind.

“I was in FFA my freshman year but didn’t do much with it. I was too laid back,” Purvis recalls. “My sophomore year I became an officer (vice president) and I participated in all that this chapter had to offer.”

Evans is a sixth-generation farmer. His family’s farm has been around since 1853. He, too, has a dual SAE.

“My first one is a small cow/calf operation in nearby Wilmington, Ohio,” he said. “There I raise cows and heifers. I keep the heifers for breeding. We raise the steers and sell them off as freezer beef. My other SAE is my own artificial insemination business that I started when I was a freshman. I travel to small farms in Oregonia and Port Williams with my service.”

Evans will attend Ohio State University’s Agriculture Technical Institute for two years before heading to the main campus in Columbus.

“For me, FFA wasn’t on the radar until I was in the eighth grade,” Evans said. “When Mrs. Oeder entered the picture, I got really involved with livestock judging and all the other Career Development events. That’s when I really thought I could get something from FFA.

“Today, I want to concentrate in raising cows and still help out with the grain farm. My grandfather still runs a grain business. My cousin could take care of the grain and I could handle the animal side of things.”

Shumaker undertook Show Cattle Breeding as his SAE. He is attending Laurel Oaks Career Campus in Wilmington, where he is studying to become a welder.

“I’m a hands-on type of person and I don’t like a classroom setting,” he said. “I have to be doing and creating things. “Welding will likely be my main source of income. Showing cattle will still be in the picture, but not my main source of income.

“I grew up showing cattle. It helped me learn about responsibility and I want my kids to learn the same thing.”

Purvis played soccer at Clinton Massie High, Evans played football and Shumaker ran track.

The Ohio State FFA Convention will be in Columbus in May. There, Purvis, Evans and Shumaker will receive their degrees alongside other FFA members from across the state.

Last year, Clinton-Massie alumni Austin Vonderhaar earned the top honor of American FFA Degree at the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo.