Eight FFA members from the Montgomery County area will get to walk out of Columbia with a state degree next month.

Gracie Cobb, Colby Ellis, Karter Reagan, Trice Roden and Jacob Teson of Montgomery County and Abbie Freie, Leah Kleinsorge and Gavyn Moritz of Wellsville-Middletown will receive their state degrees at the state convention, which is scheduled for April 15-17 at the University of Missouri-Columbia’s Hearnes Center. The state degree ceremony will be held on April 17.

Last year, MCHS had six students who received state degrees and W-M had one.

Cobb, Ellis, Reagan, Roden and Teson are seniors. They joined the MCHS FFA chapter when they were freshmen. All of them were chapter degree recipients when they were sophomores and Greenhand degree recipients when they were freshmen.

Cobb is the MCHS FFA chapter president after being vice-president last year and treasurer the year before. She is the only senior on the officer team.

Among Cobb’s accomplishments during her FFA career included being barnwarming queen in October and winning an area proficiency award in ag communications in her junior year.

Reagan is enjoying an outstanding senior year. He was named barnwarming king and picked up an award for the top fruit seller. At the winter awards reception in November, Reagan earned a Carhartt jacket for selling over $10,000 in his four years with the FFA chapter. Reagan was also a proficiency award winner in ag repair maintenance.

Teson received several awards for his strong season in trapshooting during the fall season. He earned an honor for getting the highest average of the year and was honored for turning in three perfect 25 out of 25 efforts and scoring 49 out of 50 in area competition.

Ellis won an area proficiency award in diversified horticulture this year. Last year, he was first in nursery operations.

Roden won an area proficiency award for turf grass. He was recently chosen as Missouri Area V’s Star in agribusiness. He owns a lawn care business.

Kleinsorge, who is a junior, is the W-M FFA chapter president this year after being sentinel last year. In November, she got first place in sheep producers at the Area V Leadership Conference. Last year, she qualified for districts in Division 2 Prepared Public Speaking after placing third in area competition.

Moritz and Freie are the only seniors on the W-M FFA officer team. Moritz is the vice president and Freie is the treasurer.