SPRINGFIELD – Members of the Kewanee FFA chapter attended the 97th annual Illinois FFA State Convention June 10-12, along with more than 7,000 other FFA members, advisors, and guests. With a 2025 theme of “The Final Mission,” the three-day event annually recognizes achievements of Illinois FFA members, elects the major state officer team, and celebrates agriculture.
During the convention, the following awards were presented to Kewanee FFA:
Illinois State FFA Degree: Kashen Ellerbrock, Kalleigh Gale, Jaxon Janey, and Payton Ouart 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.
American FFA Degree: Rachel DeRycke, Abigail DeSchepper, and Emma Evans were recognized for earning the highest degree achievable in the National FFA Organization. The 2025 American FFA Degrees will be officially conferred at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis in October and recognizes 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 career.
Top 10 Chapter President: Kalleigh Gale was recognized as one of the ten outstanding chapter presidents in the state who achieved the highest degree of excellence during their year of service to their chapter. The Illinois Farm Bureau Young Leaders sponsors the Top 10 Chapter Presidents Award.
Food Service Entrepreneurship State Proficiency Winner: Kalleigh Gale was selected as the State FFA Proficiency Winner in Food Service - Entrepreneurship. Kalleigh is the daughter of Kraig and Dawn Gale. She is a member of the Kewanee FFA Chapter. For her Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), Kalleigh owns and operates Cookies by Kalleigh, which she began in 2020 to honor her grandma's love of baking. She makes, bakes, decorates, and sells homemade sugar cookies. She is responsible for all business decisions, including setting prices and taking orders. While Kalleigh has learned time management, communication, and organizational skills, her favorite part of the business is sharing her passion for baking with her community.
Major State Officer Selection Committee: Kelsey Scott, a member of the Kewanee FFA Chapter, was selected to serve on the Illinois FFA Major State Officer Selection Committee. This prestigious committee is responsible for evaluating candidates seeking to serve as officers for the Illinois Association FFA. Kelsey was one of just fifteen FFA members statewide chosen for this important role, representing her chapter and district with professionalism and integrity. She was formally recognized for her service and contribution during the 97th Illinois FFA State Convention in Springfield.
State Convention Delegates: Gunnar Carmichael and Mikayla Ouart proudly represented the Kewanee FFA Chapter as official chapter delegates during the past year. In this leadership role, they participated in various business meetings, helped elect the 2025-2026 Section 3 Officer Team, and served as voting delegates at the 97th Illinois FFA State Convention. While at the convention, Gunnar and Mikayla took part in historic business sessions where the Illinois FFA Association voted to add a sixth Major State Officer position, the Sentinel, to the state officer team. They also played a key role in electing the new 2025-2026 Illinois FFA Major State Officer Team.
National Chapter Award Finalist: The chapter was named a National Chapter Award Finalist and will compete at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis this fall. The Chapter was rated GOLD in all three areas (Growing Leaders, Building Communities, and Strengthening Agriculture) and ranked 16th out of the 389 FFA chapters in Illinois!
Students at the convention were greeted with activities that included a career fair featuring colleges and agribusinesses, as well as an opportunity to engage with the history of Illinois’ capital city. The sessions featured addresses by National FFA President Thaddeus Bergschneider of Illinois and from each of the retiring major state officers.
