Mikayla Opatz earns the American FFA Degree

Springfield High School graduate Mikayla Opatz has earned the highest honor in FFA, the American FFA Degree. 

Mikayla was excited when she learned that she earned the American FFA Degree as it takes a great deal of time, dedication and effort. It is the highest honor awarded to FFA members who have demonstrated the highest level of commitment to FFA and made significant accomplishments in their supervised agricultural experience (SAE). 

Mikayla used her sheep as part of her SAEs  as well as working at Schwartz Farms. “It was a rewarding experience because as a young FFA member, I recall watching others receive their American degrees from our chapter, and they inspired me to follow in their footsteps in terms of their dedication, commitment, and passion for the FFA organization,” said Mikayla. 

She further explained a few of the steps she took to earn her degree, “I had to participate in a supervised agricultural experience program, which involved managing my small flock of Hampshire sheep as well as working at Schwartz Farms. My sheep production SAE entailed everything from daily care of my animals to record keeping, and I showed my lambs during the summers of my high school career. In addition, at Schwartz Farms, I worked at a sow farm near Leavenworth throughout the summers where I had a number of different responsibilities, including tasks such as feeding, watering, administering vaccinations, and aiding farrowing sows.” 

 Her involvement with FFA started when she was just a freshman in high school. 

See complete story in this week's issue of the Springfield Advance-Press.