Hamilton Heights FFA students earn top honors at National Convention

Submitted by Hamilton Heights School Corporation

Students from the Hamilton Heights FFA Chapter represented their school, community, and state with distinction at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, earning top honors in highly competitive national career development events.

For the first time during Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor Emilie Carson’s tenure at Hamilton Heights, the chapter qualified teams to compete at the National FFA Convention, a significant milestone for the program.

The National FFA Marketing Plan Team, consisting of Quentin Derrer, Maddie Shively, and Emery Brown, earned a Silver Team rating. Advancing to the national competition is an achievement in itself, and the team’s silver finish placed them among the nation’s best. Their project was developed in partnership with Northbrook Brewing Company, which provided students with real-world business marketing experience.

Hamilton Heights also saw outstanding success in the National FFA Meats Evaluation and Technology Contest, where the team earned a Silver Team rating and finished 18th nationally, placing them among the top 20 teams in the country. Individual honors included Lauren Happel earned the Gold Individual Rating and Joani Swinford, Lily Schuler, and Annie Sheller earned the Silver Individual Rating.

The team’s performance reflected months of preparation, dedication, and technical skill while competing against some of the strongest agricultural education programs in the nation.

In addition to the national contest accomplishments, the Hamilton Heights FFA Chapter was recently recognized with the prestigious 2-Star National Chapter Award. The honor recognizes chapters that excel in developing student leaders, strengthening agricultural literacy, and serving their communities.

Carson praised the students for their commitment and perseverance throughout the year.

“Competing at the national level means going up against the very best in the country,” Carson said. “These students rose to the challenge and proved they belong among the best. I couldn’t be more proud of what they have accomplished.”