When Lucy Chorman put on her very own FFA jacket for the first time almost five years ago, she said she felt excited for the opportunities to come.
“For myself and thousands of other FFA members across the country, the blue jacket gives us an opportunity to be a part of an organization that is fighting for agriculture, moving ahead and having a hand in developing the next generation of leaders,” she said.
Chorman, like many other students in the Delaware, was able to receive their blue corduroy jacket thanks to the Delaware Farm Bureau’s Blue Jacket Bonanza. This year, the organization provided 99 students with their own iconic jackets.
DEFB President Bill Powers and First Vice President Steve Breeding attended the Delaware FFA’s 94th State Convention Tuesday, March 5, at Delaware State University to personally present the jackets to those students.
“It’s a privilege to be able to do this for … quite a few years. Steve Breeding and I were both state FFA presidents. That was 48 years ago in this room and Steve was a state officer in 2000,” Powers said, tying experiences from both organizations together.
On stage, Powers donned his own blue jacket for the FFA students in attendance who erupted in applause at the sight.
“It felt good putting that on to show the students. I have a lot of great memories from my time in the FFA, and my kids were in the FFA, too. My jacket sat in a time capsule for years. It felt special taking it out of there just like it felt special putting it on in front of the FFA members,” he said.
Students who received their first FFA jacket through the Blue Jacket Bonanza came from across the state with a variety of experiences already under their belts and more to come, Chorman suggested.
“One of my favorite parts of the National FFA organization is that it doesn’t wait for leadership to find you. Instead, it recognizes that a true leader is not defined by age, rather by compassion. To the applicants before me, let this be a reminder that you can be a leader right where you are today,” she told the conference crowd of more than 550 attendees. “Whether you’re wearing it for the very first time, or a seasoned advocate, FFA has a place for you.”
Students honored with their own FFA blue jackets include:
- Caesar Rodney High School: Dylan Harris, Olivia Rudis, Colleen Duong, Lily Cottle, Abigail Morgan, Addison Reel, Carter Benini, Lily Moffet
- Dover High School: Marialuisa Quinonez, Chloe Long, Haley Hartnett, Samantha McCoy, Danielle Jones, Grace Davis, Justin Didden
- Smyrna High School: Samuel Dulin IV, Riley Hufford, Rachael Carney, Oliver Ahrem, Mason Jewell, Kayla Walker, Jason Briney, Cheyenne Abel, Caleigh Sweetman, Abigail Campagnini, Ezra Brumbaugh
- Seaford High School: Evan Metzner, Colin Hignutt, Kohen Massey, Paige Zoll, Brianna Brady, Tyler Tribbitt
- Christiana High School: Nadine Igbokidi
- Milford High School: Savannah Littleton, Malleri Preuss, Abi Richards, Bryce Patricella, Lily Fry, Olivia Tribbett, Laura Fulton, Maggie Moore, Donald Calhoun, Nevaeh Passwaters
- Sussex Central High School: Joseph Moore V, Joshua McCabe, Adelita Hernandez-Barrios, Maria Gutierrez-Carcamo, Madigan Stegura, Julian Burns, Gabriel Bullard, Chloe Burroughs-Gravatt, Ava Johnson
- Thomas McKean High School: Grace Starrett, Olivia Barnes, Alex Duncan, Chase Armiger
- Middletown High School: Abigail Marshall, Madison Reeder, Melissa Yeboah, Alyssa Winner, Rieley Un, Keva Dhapare, Alex Appiah
- Lake Forest High School: Mackenzie Johnson, Alexis Rowland, Kaylyn Jones, Alexiana Hay
- Odyssey Charter School: Autumn Piazza
- Appoquinimink High School: Alyson Hackett, Annabelle Strong, Irelynn Becker, Hannah Rohe, Jayla Burton, Gabriel Doering, Kylie Knapp, Anna Kuzminski, Sophia Velon, Carleigh Neville, Benjamin Carter, Riley Cheeseman, Isabella Linsmeier, Carina Frago
- Woodbridge High School: Cooper Kerrick, Brooke Taylor, Dailyn Ramos Cortes, Hannah Jefferson, Garrett Kellam
- Odessa High School: Rory Whitehouse, Macy Troutman, Alexandra Stanbery-Turner, Dean Troutman, Savannah Timney, Brenna Mahoney
- William Penn High School: Diamond Barnard, Edwardo Carmine, Jesus Lopez-Baeza, Kimani Wright, Rowan Fernsler
For more information about the Delaware Farm Bureau or on how to get involved, visit the website here.