DEKALB, Texas -- Members of the DeKalb Future Farmers of America Chapter traveled to Huntsville on Dec. 3 to compete in Texas FFA's Leadership Career Development Events, and the school's Greenhand Skills Team was named state champions.
"These kids were phenomenal," FFA Adviser Brandon McClure said. "For this contest to go like it went and for my greenhands to win the state championship, which has never been done here, is just phenomenal. Words just can't describe how I feel. I'm super proud of them and my Chapter Skills team for finishing seventh.
The team was named district champions and area champions, before being named state champs.
DeKalb's Skills Presentation teams qualified for the state competition by finishing first or second in one of the state's 66 district competitions and first or second in one of twelve area competitions.
More than 5,000 entries began the statewide tournament in 13 different events, which reflect classroom instruction in basic leadership skills.
Members included Kyndra Andrews, Cole Triplett, and Thomas Baird, each student is a freshman at DeKalb High School.
DeKalb's Chapter Skills Demonstration qualified for the state contest last year where they tied for 11th place in the state of Texas. The members of this team were District Champions all four years of their high school career and finished their journey as the seventh place team in the state of Texas.
The members of the Chapter level are Stephanie Motes, Blake Birdsong and Luke Daniel.
"The time, the work ethic and mental capability they showed to make this happen is awesome," McClure said. "I've got to commend the students for the journey they've taken and the things they've given up to make this possible. It shows the dedication to this program. It's just phenomenal what they've done and conquered."
The Texas FFA is the nation's largest state FFA association with a membership of more than 154,000 active FFA members. FFA programs teach skills in leadership, career development and personal growth. FFA gives students the opportunity to practically apply classroom knowledge to real-world experiences through local, state and national competitions.
Sam Houston State University has partnered with Texas FFA in hosting these competitions for more than 80 years.