Carroll County Middle School recognized as the nation’s top middle school FFA program
The chapter was named the winner at the National FFA Convention & Expo in November.
From left to right: Carroll County Middle School FFA’s student presenters react with surprise after being announced as the winners of the Middle School Model of Excellence competition at the National FFA Convention & Expo. From left to right: Magen Key, Natalie Culler, Chapter Advisor John Carpenter, and Madelyn Caviness. Photo courtesy of Carroll County Middle School FFA.
Carroll County Middle School’s Virginia FFA chapter was named the 2023 National Middle School Model of Excellence winner during the National FFA Convention & Expo in November in Indianapolis. The competition’s judges recognized the chapter and its 436 members as the best in the nation for their efforts to grow leaders, build communities, strengthen agriculture, and provide enriching educational opportunities.
Carroll County middle schoolers Madelyn Caviness, Natalie Culler, and Magen Key represented their chapter as presenters at the national finals with the help of presentation assistant Keri Alderman, which aided in their quest to win the prestigious award.
In front of an audience of judges and conference attendees, the girls described some of the chapter’s community service and educational outreach activities over the past year. The projects included an agricultural literacy program for children and parents during the Carroll County Public Library’s Agricultural Literacy Month, a petting zoo at the Back to School Bash to attract more students to agriculture classes, and a Christmas tree decoration contest and food drive to support the American Cancer Society.
“To be the national champion FFA chapter means the world to me,” Key said. “We have come so far as a chapter and being able to show the world all of our accomplishments is a major thing. I'm so glad to be a part of the Carroll County Middle School chapter.”
“At Carroll County Middle School, everyone is very close, everyone talks to each other and is very welcoming,” said Culler, the chapter president. “We feel it is very important to give back to our community. Our community has always been very kind and caring to everyone around. Because we give back to the community, we receive a lot of support in return.”
The group is led by Carroll County agricultural educators and FFA advisors Myra Leonard, John Carpenter, and Makenzie Carter, all of whom are Virginia Tech alumni.
“Being able to be a part of their FFA journey has been such a blessing,” Carter said. “I love meeting them as sixth graders, getting to know them, and then seeing them blossom through this organization. We as advisors know how special they are. I am just so thankful the rest of the nation gets to see it, too.”
“This, to me, is the best example of overcoming the hardships of the last few years,” Carpenter added. “These students started out in the year we were shut down for COVID. They became leaders in a virtual world. Their determination and work ethic were evident from the very start. Honestly, they inspired me as a teacher to keep going and they still do today.”
The Carroll County community has been eager to celebrate the students’ accomplishments. The chapter received a congratulatory parade from fellow students and was selected to be grand marshall for the Town of Hillsville Christmas parade. Members were also honored at a recent Carroll County School Board meeting.
“FFA has brought me a long way since sixth grade,” Caviness said. “It has meant having a family that supports you anytime.”
FFA was founded at Virginia Tech in 1925 by four agricultural education teachers. Today, the National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 945,000 student members as part of 9,163 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.
