FFA Banquet
by Ella Gaes
On Saturday, April 23, the Pierce held their Annual FFA banquet at the Pierce County Fairgrounds Pavillion at 6:30 p.m. The officer team worked very hard and put a lot of time in to prepare for the night.
The 2021-22 president, Ayden Thelen commented on the banquet saying, “It’s always good to show the community how we use their support to teach all of our members the importance of agriculture. It was both sad and a relief to retire my position. I can definitely say FFA will always have a place in my heart.”
The evening meal was catered by Tinker’s Concessions which consisted of smoked brisket and pork loin, cheesy potatoes, beans, and homemade desserts.
The guest speaker, Mackenzie Johnston, then shared her story in the agriculture industry. She explained how getting fired from her journalism job because she wrote about the negative impacts of Brazilian Beef changed her life for the better.
A tradition the FFA chapter has always held is having a parent of the Chapter President speak. Thelen’s mom, Becky Hilkemann, then gave a speech about what FFA means and the importance it holds in her life as well as the reflection of the communities.
Many different awards were handed out for participation in CDE’s (Career Development Events) and LDE’s (Leadership Development Events) as well as other miscellaneous awards.
Next, scholarships were handed out to the seniors. Following this, the past senior officer team members gave their retiring addresses and handed over the lead as they installed the new officers.
Mr. Matthew Neal, the Pierce FFA advisor, commented on the night: “I think it is always good to recognize the students and their success in our FFA Chapter. I am always blown away by the support from the community.”
New officers for the 2022-23 school year are president Haiden Magnussen, vice president Brielle Unseld, secretary Zaylah Pfanstiel, treasurer Alexander Meier, reporter Ella Gaes, sentinel Isabelle Skrdla, and historian Ashley Wacker.
