Kewanee FFA Members Receive Top Honors and Leadership Positions
Members of the Kewanee FFA chapter joined more than 5,000 students, advisors, and guests for the 98th annual Illinois State FFA Convention, held June 9th through 11th. This year’s theme, “Sparking Your Future,” highlighted leadership, achievement, and the future of agriculture across Illinois. During the three-day gathering, FFA members were recognized for accomplishments in agricultural education, career development, and community involvement. The convention also included the election of the state officer team, giving students a voice in guiding the organization forward. For Kewanee FFA, the event offered inspiration, connection, and a chance to celebrate agriculture’s next generation.
The chapter brought home multiple honors, led by Kashen Ellerbrock and Payton Ouart, earning American FFA Degrees—the organization’s highest award. Four additional Kewanee members received State FFA Degrees, recognizing their leadership, supervised agricultural experiences, and commitment to the FFA mission. The chapter also marked a leadership milestone, with Kelsey Scott installed as Section Three President. Adding to the list of achievements, Kewanee FFA qualified as a National Chapter Award Finalist, placing the program among the top chapters recognized for excellence.
American FFA Degree: Kashen Ellerbrock and Payton Ouart were recognized for earning the highest degree achievable in the National FFA Organization. The 2026 American FFA Degrees will be officially conferred at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis in October and recognize the most dedicated members in the country who demonstrated excellence with their supervised agricultural experience, provided outstanding leadership and community service, and earned scholastic achievement throughout their FFA careers.
Illinois State FFA Degree: Jack Anderson, Katy Carton, Emmalee Kilstrom, and Kelsey Scott were conferred with State FFA Degrees by the Illinois Association for meeting all requirements, including productive financial investments and earnings in a supervised agricultural experience and FFA participation, leadership, and academic excellence. The State FFA Degree is the highest achievement an FFA member can achieve in Illinois; less than 2% of members statewide earn this prestigious recognition.
2026-2027 Section 3 President: Kelsey Scott was installed as the President of Illinois FFA’s Section 3. The 25 newly installed section presidents are members of the 2026-2027 Illinois State Officer Team.
Growing Leaders National Chapter Award Section Winner: As part of the National Chapter Award program and the chapter’s program of activities, Growing Leaders is designed to encourage the chapter to develop individual and cooperative activities to enhance students’ life skills. The University of Illinois College of ACES is the statewide sponsor of the Growing Leaders National Chapter Award.