LEWISTOWN — Eight members of the Big Valley FFA received the prestigious Keystone Degree at this year’s annual Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg.

Hayley Carson, Olivia Fisher, Brooke Jenkins, Rylee Jenkins, Montana McKee, Savannah Oden, Claudia Rheam and Alivia Snook were given their degrees on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, during the 96th Mid-Winter FFA Convention.

Meet this year’s Keystone Degree recipients:

Montana McKee

FFA offices held: President 2024-25, Vice President 2023-24 and Treasurer 2022-23

What are your supervised agricultural experiences? Fair livestock animals and working on my family farm.

Post-graduation plans: Continue to help on the family farm and attend college for agricultural and extension education.

Alivia Snook

FFA offices held: Vice President 2024-25

What are your supervised agricultural experiences? Working at the Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital as a dietary aide.

Post-graduation plans: Attend Penn State University Park campus, majoring in agricultural and extension education.

Rylee Jenkins

FFA offices held: Chaplin 2022-23 and 2023-24

What are your supervised agricultural experiences? My photography business, Southern Moments Photography.

Post-graduation plans: Obtain full-time employment and continue to grow my photography business.

Savannah Oden

FFA offices held: None, but active on Banquet Planning Committee and Apparel Committee.

What are your supervised agricultural experiences? Working at Dunkin’.

Post-graduation plans: Attend South Hills School of Business and Technology, majoring in Business Administration and someday buy a house and have a farm with animals.

Claudia Rheam

FFA offices held: Secretary 2023-24

What are your supervised agricultural experiences? Working at Rita’s Italian Ice.

Post-graduation plans: Attend Bloomsburg University, majoring in criminal justice with plans to become a homicide investigator.

Olivia Fisher

FFA offices held: Sentinel 2023-24

What are your supervised agricultural experiences? Market pigs and working at Hameau Farm.

Post-graduation plans: Attend Delaware Valley University, majoring in animal science.

Hayley Carson

FFA offices held: Historian 2023-24

What are your supervised agricultural experiences? Working milking cows at the Willows Farm in Belleville and my home vegetable garden.

Post-graduation plans: Enroll at Unity Environmental University, majoring in wildlife conservation.

Brooke Jenkins

FFA offices held: Reporter 2023-24

What are your supervised agricultural experiences? Showing lambs and goats at the Mifflin County Youth Fair.

Post-graduation plans: Gain certification as an interior firefighter and volunteering with the Yeagertown Fire Co., while also staying involved in FFA to teach younger generations about its importance.

The Keystone Degree is an award given to the top members of the Pennsylvania FFA Association at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. It’s the fourth-highest degree an FFA member can receive.

To earn the Keystone Degree, applicants must meet a number of requirements:

• Being an FFA member for at least two years.

• Being a current senior or graduate.

• Completing two years of agricultural courses.

• Completing at least 300 hours in a supervised agricultural experience (SAE) or investing at least $1,000 in an SAE.

• Participating in at least 10 FFA chapter activities.

• Participating in at least five different FFA activities above the chapter level.

• Completing 25 hours of community service.

• Demonstrating leadership skills.

• Advocating for agriculture and the FFA.

• Submitting a photo of an SAE project.

• Submitting complete SAE plans for all current year projects.

At last year’s Pennsylvania Farm Show, the state FFA celebrated a record jacket handout of 970, but that number didn’t stand for long.

This year, the Pennsylvania FFA squashed that record and set several more during the Mid-Winter Convention.

Giving out 1,369 jackets, awarding 511 Keystone degrees and honoring 31 parents, Pennsylvania FFA had a lot to celebrate.

In addition to the eight Keystone Degree recipients, one family was honored with the Special Parent Award. Gary and the late Katie Jenkins were conferred the prestigious award for having three children earn the Keystone Degree: Mattie in 2023, Brooke in 2025 and Rylee in 2025. All three members have actively participated in the Big Valley FFA throughout the years.