Six recent Righetti High School graduates who earned the FFA’s highest degree will be honored at the 2015 National FFA Convention and Expo in Louisville, Ky., during October.

All are now working on their college agricultural careers. The group includes Michael Guerra (Fresno State), Ellen Blackwell (Kansas State), Emily Flores (Chico State), Andrew Reade (Cal Poly SLO), Nick Maldonado (Allan Hancock College) and Jessica Wilkin (Allan Hancock College).

In order to qualify for this prestigious degree, the students must first meet the qualifications and submit an application. Some of the qualifications include, but are not limited to, investing more than $10,000 in their supervised agriculture experience, 50 hours of non FFA related community service, and must have received the State FFA Degree. Less than one percent of the FFA total membership earn the degree, which is also known as the “Golden Key”.

"The FFA teaches you how to work hard to achieve your goals,’’ Michael Guerra said. “It opens many doors for students and offers opportunities to be involved and be successful no matter what interest you have. At Righetti FFA I was able to serve as a leader, give back to the community, and also become very knowledgeable on the agriculture industry through hands on experiences raising livestock that I have continued to use in college and life."

The National FFA Convention and Expo will feature dialogue from National FFA Officers, keynote speakers, networking opportunities with many business and industry leaders and other activities. More than 60,000 FFA members nationwide are expected to attend the event.

(Picture –left to right): Ellen Blackwell, Emily Flores, Jessica Wilkin, Andrew Reade, Nick Maldonado, Michael Guerra