Delaware FFA members rack up recognitions, awards at national convention

Laurel’s Nowotny named Eastern Region Vice President for 2025-26

INDIANAPOLIS – Delaware displayed strong leadership and earned awards at the 98th National FFA Convention and Expo earlier this month. First State members joined a record-breaking crowd of more than 73,000 from across the nation.

Highlights for Delaware FFA:

Delaware Representation in National Leadership

• Joey Nowotny, a former Laurel High School member, was elected to the National Officer team.  Joey will serve as the Eastern Region Vice President for 2025-26.  This is a significant achievement as only six national officers are elected each year.

Professional Growth and Leadership

• Members had the opportunity to meet with 300 exhibitors, ranging from colleges and universities to industry representatives across agriculture. These exhibitors represented more than 350 career paths.

Recognition and Awards

• Members from across Delaware represented their prospective chapters in career and leadership development events. These events ranged from public speaking and networking to content specific demonstration skills such as livestock evaluation and welding.

Top career and leadership develop award areas and recipients:

• Spanish Creed Speaking – finalist: Miely Medina Rizo, Appoquinimink High School 
• Floriculture – Gold placing individuals: Ashton Evans and Brooke Ryan, Middletown High School
• Food Science and Technology – Gold placing individual: Lana Manzo, Middletown High School
• Horse Evaluation – Gold placing individual: Brooke Taylor, Woodbridge High School
• Forestry, Top-five team placing with all members placing as Gold individually: Joseph Delaney-Finalist (fifth place individual), Zachary Binnie, Nathaniel Sutton, Keith Schmid, Odessa High School
• Agronomy, Top-10 team placing, Gold placing individual: Faith Downs, Odessa High School
• Environmental Science and Resources, Gold placing individual: Luke Brown, Odessa High School
• Employment Skills, Eighth-place individual: Kalena Diaz, Odessa High School

Agriscience Fair Awards areas and recipients:

• Plant Systems, Seventh place: Jazzlynn Herscher and Brooklyn Hysan, Laurel High School
• Social Systems, Sixth place: Brynnen Thompson and Destinie McCrea, Laurel High School

American Degree recipients:

Twenty members received their American degree, requiring at least three years of membership, high school graduation, supervised agricultural experience hours and community service commitments.

About Delaware FFA:

Delaware FFA is a state association committed to empowering students in agriscience education through leadership development skills, practical experience, and community engagement. With more than 4,000 members, Delaware FFA operates in high schools and middle schools across the state and connects students to a broad network of agricultural, educational, and professional opportunities.

For more information about opportunities in Delaware FFA, please visit https://delawareffa.org/ or contact the Office of Career and Technical Education at 302-735-4015.