Five Cisne Graduates Earn American FFA Degree

Five 2025 Cisne High School graduates were recognized with the National FFA Organization's highest honor at its national convention.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Secondary Education

Wide photograph of a flat rural Illinois field of green crop rows under warm low sunlight, with a distant grain elevator and a weathered fence post in the foreground. — Five 2025 Cisne High School graduates received the National FFA Organization's American FFA Degree at its 99th national convention in Indianapolis on October 24. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Cooper Bowen, Joshua Biggs, Allie Brach, Ella Krupp, and Kadence Smith received the American FFA Degree during the 99th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, IN, on October 24, 2026. The American FFA Degree is the National FFA Organization's highest honor.

Why it matters

Less than one percent of the organization's 1,053,847 members earn the American Degree, making the recognition rare among students in agricultural education. The honor reflects sustained work in leadership, community service, and agricultural business projects.

Eligibility requires earning at least $10,000 and productively investing $7,500 through Supervised Agricultural Experience programs, plus a twenty-page application with 50 hours of community service. Applicants must also complete an interview with a state recommendation committee, and the organization counts 1,053,847 members nationwide.

The players

National FFA Organization

The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization focused on agricultural education, leadership, and career development, with more than one million members.

The details

Each recipient completed a twenty-page degree application that included 50 hours of community service and an interview with a state recommendation committee. Joshua Biggs, a sophomore at Case Western Reserve University, is majoring in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering.

October 24, 2026: Five graduates received the American FFA Degree at the 99th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, IN.

Season Trajectory

The American FFA Degree sits at the top of the National FFA Organization's recognition system, requiring multi-year Supervised Agricultural Experience records and leadership work. Each annual class of recipients extends a program whose eligibility standards have remained the basis for selecting the organization's highest honorees.

Students interested in the American FFA Degree must plan years ahead, meeting the $10,000 earnings and $7,500 investment thresholds through Supervised Agricultural Experience programs. The twenty-page application and state recommendation interview are the practical steps that determine eligibility.

The takeaway

Recognition like the American FFA Degree depends on documented work across several years, not a single achievement. Students planning for similar honors can track their earnings, investments, and service hours from early in their program.