When she was a student at Montgomery County High School 14 years ago, Amanda Sullivan earned a Missouri FFA degree during the Missouri FFA Convention at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

At the 2023 state convention on April 21, the MCHS co-adviser got to march across the stage at the Hearnes Center again. This time, she was one of 26 people who received an Honorary State FFA Degree.

“It was a very full circle moment,” Sullivan said.

The Missouri FFA association awards the state degree to anyone who made big contributions to the FFA organization and its members. Those eligible to receive the state degree include farmers, school superintendents, principals, school board members, chapter advisers and teachers.

Sullivan has been an FFA adviser for 10 years, including the last six at MCHS. She shares adviser duties with Mary Leykamp. During her tenure, she assisted students in getting recognition for their supervised agricultural experience programs in the area, state and national levels and helped many students in receiving their state and American FFA degrees.

Sullivan said agriculture teachers can apply for an honorary state degree after working for a certain amount of years.

“It’s one of those things that you apply for on your own,” Sulllivan said. “It’s strongly encouraged by other people for you to do it. There’s no nomination. It’s just an application you fill out. I follow the philosophy that if I make my children fill out applications, I should also fill out applications that are available for me as well.”

Sullivan graduated from MCHS in 2009. In her senior year Sullivan joined a group of students which included Chris Meyer, Josh Gross, Aaron Rock, Tyler Wagster, Elizabeth Queathem and Alyssa Thomas that received the state FFA degree.

Sullivan, who worked four years as an FFA adviser in Mexico before heading to MCHS in 2017, said she enjoyed going to the state convention, which wrapped up its 95th year on April 21.

“It’s so fun,” Sullivan said. “They put on quite a show with the state officers. Everyone does such a great job.”

Sullivan was also happy with the way her MCHS chapter performed at the two-day convention. Sophomore Avery Ridgley won a state title in public speaking, sophomore Beckham Cothren finished sixth in public speaking, the food science team finished third, Jace Ellis placed first in nursery operations proficiency and eight members – Brianne West, Cora Johnson, Carie Schroer, Presley Schluss, Annie Robinson, Ahna Sinclair, Griffen Rakers and Austin Blackstock – received their FFA state degrees.

“We had an excellent convention, for sure,” Sullivan said.