On Nov. 2, Emma Rose Wegner, a resident of Central Bridge and a 2016 graduate of Schoharie High School was awarded the FFA American Degree during the 2019 National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The FFA American Degree is the highest degree achievable in the National FFA Organization (formerly known as the Future Farmers of America). The conferral of the FFA American Degree demonstrates Emma Rose’s dedication to the Schoharie Valley FFA Chapter and the New York State FFA Association. It also demonstrates the effort Ms. Wegner applied toward her supervised agricultural experience in agricultural education and communications as well as the outstanding leadership abilities and community involvement she
exhibited throughout her FFA career.
Nationwide 4353 individuals were recognized as 2019 FFA American Degree recipients, including 36 young adults from New York State. Less than one percent of FFA members attain the FFA American Degree each year. In addition to the degree certificate, each recipient received a gold FFA American Degree key.
Emma Rose earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural business management with a minor in agricultural education at SUNY Cobleskill in May 2019. She was a member of the Block and Bridle Livestock Club serving terms as Secretary and President. Ms. Wegner was inducted as a member of the charter class of the Sigma Alpha Sorority at SUNY Cobleskill and as a member of Epsilon Pi Tau, the International Honor Society for Professions in Technology.
Emma Rose was the collegiate Farm Bureau Representative through the Postsecondary Ag Student Organization (PAS) during her 2016-2017 year at SUNY Cobleskill and wrote and submitted articles for the monthly New York Farm Bureau (NYFB) Grassroots publication.
Ms. Wegner recently began employment as the Foundation Assistant and Member Support Team Representative with NYFB based in Albany. With knowledge acquired while a student at SUNY Cobleskill and from learning experiences in FFA and 4-H, she is enthusiastic about promoting agriculture across the state and strengthening rural and agricultural ways of life. Emma Rose was introduced to NYFB in 2015 when she assisted at the New York State FFA booth at the Taste of New York event in Albany. As a senior in high school, she job shadowed the NYFB Manager of Public Affairs and Senior Associate Director of Public Policy and learned about the varied employment opportunities at NYFB.
Emma Rose has an extensive catalogue of experiences in FFA and 4-H. She earned a FFA Empire Degree in 2015. While Emma Rose served as 2015-16 Vice President of New York FFA, she promoted the need to improve and expand agricultural education in the state to participants at the Agricultural Education Summit held at HFM BOCES in September 2015. At eight years old she became an independent 4-H member and a major highlight of her 4-H career was being a delegate to the first National Agri-Science Summit held at the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland in 2014.