Determination, Dedication Earn Sutherlin High School Students American FFA Degrees
By Craig Reed
After four years of dedication to FFA principles and projects, Paige Edmonson and Madison Wagner have earned the program’s highest honor.
The two 2024 Sutherlin High School graduates were presented with American FFA degrees on November 1 at the organization’s annual national convention in Indianapolis.
According to the FFA website, the degree “signifies a member’s commitment to their chapter and state FFA association. It reflects the effort put into their supervised agricultural experience and showcases their leadership abilities and community involvement throughout their FFA career."
“I’m pretty proud of myself,” says 20-year-old Paige. “Not a lot of people earn this. You have to be productive and proficient. You have to invest yourself in order to get something back.”
Madison, 19, says earning that high honor shows dedication.
“To the many people who have been in FFA, getting that degree means a lot,” she says.
Annually, less than 1% of FFA members earn and are awarded the degree.
Paige is the daughter of Lindy and Jeff Edmonson. Madison is the daughter of Stacey and Stuart Wagner. Both families are Douglas Electric Cooperative members.
Hayleigh Mock, another recent Sutherlin High graduate, also earned an American FFA Degree this year. She was unable to make the trip to Indianapolis.
Wes Crawford, the girls’ FFA adviser and Sutherlin High School’s ag science teacher, lauded their achievements during their four years at school.
“In this day and age, consistency and the willingness to push yourself in order to maintain a high level of production is a rare commodity and should be celebrated,” he says.
“On a yearly basis, about one half of 1% of FFA students nationally earn this honor,” he says, adding Sutherlin High has had about 12 students earn the American FFA Degree in his 19 years there.
Paige is an Oregon State University sophomore. She is majoring in kinesiology— the scientific study of human movement— and focusing on how physical activity and sport affect quality of life and health.
Since graduating in 2024, Madison has worked for Malcolm Drilling, Douglas County Farmers Co-op, and, most recently, FCC Commercial Furniture as a welder. She hopes to secure an internship and eventually become an electrician.
Paige and Madison walked similar paths through their high school years. They both had market steers that they showed and marketed at the annual Douglas County Fair. They also had cattle breeding projects at their families’ home properties.
In the classroom, they took such classes as intro to agriculture sciences, agricultural biology, intermediate agriculture metals, agriculture business, plant science, animal science, advanced veterinarian science, advanced agriculture metals, mechanics, and woodshop.
As a sophomore, Paige made a headache rack for her pickup in the welding class. As a junior in a team project, she designed and created the metal bottoms for two oak-topped tables.
In the woodshop, Madison made name signs for families and businesses. In welding, she made three barstools, a boot rack, and a wine rack out of horseshoes.
Paige, Madison, and other members of their 2024 class helped build a new welding shop for the school during their senior year. They also helped with the planting, growing, marketing, and sale of the FFA’s annual plant sale.
Criteria for the American FFA Degree include 50 hours of community service. The students helped with canned food drives, cleaning up around the school property, and planting oak trees around Ford’s Pond west of Sutherlin.
Outside the classroom and the FFA curriculum, Paige and Madison were four-year soccer and basketball players. In the state playoffs, their basketball teams placed second, third, fourth, and fifth, respectively. Their soccer teams also earned playoff spots but failed to advance far. Paige was a three-time soccer league most valuable player for Class 3A and player of the year twice.
The two students credit their FFA adviser for contributing to their success.
“Wes Crawford gives you everything you need to set yourself up for success,” Paige says. “The knowledge, the principles you learn can be applied to real life.”
Paige says it was enjoyable to be at the national convention.
“It was being part of a larger community that had achieved the same thing as you,” she says. “It was nice being part of that bigger picture and being recognized.
“Wes and my community at home had a lot to do with my success, and I want to thank them.”