Kohler earns prestigious FFA Keystone Degree
Four others receive first-year jackets
Submitted photo<br> Big Valley FFA members Phoebe Keiser (from left), Lily Breon, Kelsey Wade, Kendra Harlon and Kendra Kohler pose for a picture on the stage at Mid-Winter FFA Convention, held in the New Holland Area Monday of the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg.
Submitted photo<br> Kendra Harlon (left) helps Kelsey Wade zip up her FFA jacket for the first time.
Submitted photo<br> Kendra Kohler, a senior member of the Big Valley FFA Chapter, received her Keystone Degree on Monday at the Mid-Winter Convention during the Farm Show.
Submitted photo<br> Big Valley FFA members Phoebe Keiser (from left), Lily Breon, Kelsey Wade, Kendra Harlon and Kendra Kohler pose for a picture on the stage at Mid-Winter FFA Convention, held in the New Holland Area Monday of the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg.
Submitted photo<br> Kendra Harlon (left) helps Kelsey Wade zip up her FFA jacket for the first time.
Submitted photo<br> Kendra Kohler, a senior member of the Big Valley FFA Chapter, received her Keystone Degree on Monday at the Mid-Winter Convention during the Farm Show.
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HARRISBURG -- FFA offers students, like Kendra Kohler, an outlet to spend time with friends, learn about agriculture and just be themselves.
Sometimes, that can be transformative. "FFA has changed my life," said Kohler, who is currently serving as president of the Big Valley FFA and a senior agricultural sciences student at the Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology. "It has helped me become more confident and responsible. Earning my Keystone Degree is proof that hard work and dedication pays off."
The Keystone Degree is the highest award that an FFA member can achieve in Pennsylvania. Typically, it's given to a graduating senior in their final year of active service in the FFA.
Kohler received her Keystone Degree this past Monday during the Pennsylvania FFA Mid-Winter Convention at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex with more than 8,000 people in attendance. She was among 504 recipients to earn the prestigious Keystone Degree this year.
To get the award, Kohler had to first earn Greenhand and Chapter degrees, perform 25 hours of community service, take part in at least 15 FFA activities, demonstrate leadership skills, advocate for both FFA and agricultural causes and have 300 hours outside of school and more than $1,000 invested in a supervised agricultural experience.
Kohler joined the Big Valley FFA chapter in 2020. She was always interested in agriculture but didn't have the opportunity to get involved until a close friend inspired her to join.
Since then, Kohler has met all of the requirements to earn her Keystone Degree, including completing 29 community service hours and working more than 300 hours with her animals.
She also served as Big Valley FFA's treasurer last year.
Kohler enjoys being around animals and has spent countless hours working with her lambs. In addition to receiving her Keystone Degree, she also showed her lamb at the Farm Show, winning the Lightweight Market Lamb class.
In the future, she hopes to become a veterinary technician.
Kohler's mother, Bridget, agrees that FFA has changed her daughter's life. "We are all so very proud of Kendra," Bridget said. "Watching her come out of her shell since joining the show and FFA community has been amazing. The heart, soul and passion she has is inspiring to many."
Big Valley FFA Advisor Nicolette Cusate said Kohler has been an inspiration to younger members, including sophomores Kelsey Wade, Kendra Harlon, Lily Breon and Phoebe Keiser, who were recipients of the Pennsylvania FFA First-Year Jacket Scholarship.
The Pennsylvania FFA Alumni Association runs the campaign annually so that first-year FFA members can receive their very own jacket during the Mid-Winter Convention at no cost to them. An FFA jacket with tie or scarf costs $75 plus shipping.
"I feel so honored to wear this jacket and to be a part of the National FFA organization," Wade said. "I know I will eventually outgrow the jacket, but I will never outgrow the memories.
"It shows that we care and want to help our community and make a difference in people's lives," she added.
Keiser also shared what the FFA jacket means to her, stating, "The FFA jacket can present many opportunities for me to go to more events, and is a way for me to represent my community. The jacket is very important to the FFA and to me."
This year, Pennsylvania awarded 970 FFA jackets to first-year members, placing the largest single jacket order in the National FFA's history. Pennsylvania is the only state to run a jacket campaign of this magnitude.
Even 970 jackets aren't enough for every first-year member -- the state has 15,000 FFA members in middle and high school.
And not everyone who joins will achieve Pennsylvania FFA's highest award, the Keystone degree -- though more than 500 received that award during the Mid-Winter Convention.
In a formal ceremony in front of hundreds of other FFA members plus the general public attending, they stood as one and donned their first jackets.
While those four marked a beginning in their FFA journey, Kohler was celebrating a bittersweet end, receiving her Keystone Degree.
Cusate said it's clear that Big Valley FFA members are enthusiastic about their community and the future of agriculture.
"Seeing the students take ownership and work to transform the way people see our chapter going forward is truly rewarding," she added. "They have goals for the chapter and for themselves and they know what it takes to achieve them."