Jack Beetz recognized as state FFA Proficiency winner

Staff
Posted 4/8/21

SPRINGFIELD - Mendota High School senior Jack Beetz was selected as the State FFA Proficiency winner in Diversified Crop Production – Placement.

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Jack Beetz recognized as state FFA Proficiency winner

Posted

SPRINGFIELD - Mendota High School senior Jack Beetz was selected as the State FFA Proficiency winner in Diversified Crop Production – Placement. Jack is a member of the Mendota FFA Chapter of the Illinois Association FFA.

Illinois FFA recognizes students in 50 different areas based on their work-based learning, also known as Supervised Agricultural Experiences or SAE. FFA members who demonstrate outstanding agricultural skills and competencies through record keeping, leadership, and scholastic achievement may be considered for this award. SAEs allow students to learn by doing by either owning and operating an agricultural business, working or serving an internship at an agriculture-based business or conducting an agriculture-based scientific experiment and reporting results.

Jack was selected as the state winner by a committee of agriculture teachers knowledgeable in this work-based area, who reviewed his records online and then conducted virtual interviews from their homes and offices throughout the state. Jack is the son of Brooke Beetz of Mendota and his SAE projects involved working for the family farming operation.

Receiving this honor now makes Jack eligible to compete in the National FFA Awards Selection process in July. He was previously chosen as the Chapter, Section 7 and District 2 awardee in this area, which involves working for a business that applies the best management practices available to efficiently produce and market crops from two or more of the following proficiency areas: grain production, fiber and oil crop production, forage production, specialty crop production (excluding floriculture production), vegetable production or fruit production.

Jack has also been involved in other agriculture education and FFA activities including demonstration of his leadership skills by serving as chapter Reporter, Treasurer, and currently as the Chapter President. He has attended the National FFA Convention & Expo as well as the BUILD Leadership Conference and competed in the Section 7 Agronomy and Agricultural Mechanics CDEs. He chaired the Mendota FFA Parliamentary Procedure team for three years, which recently won the Section 7 contest to advance to the District Level, and Jack was named the first place Chairman. He was also the 2019 Section 7 Proficiency winner in Forage Crop Production and the 2020 Section 7 winner in Specialty Crop Production. He was named the 2021 Section 7 Star in Agricultural Placement and has been recommended to receive his State FFA Degree at the 93rd Illinois FFA State Convention. Matthew Meyer is the agriculture teacher and FFA Advisor at Mendota High School.

Jack will receive plaques for his accomplishments and be celebrated for this great achievement. These plaques are made possible by gifts by individuals, businesses, corporations and organizations through the Illinois Foundation FFA. To learn more about Illinois Agricultural Education or the Illinois Association FFA visit www.ilaged.org or contact your local high school agricultural education department.