MENDOTA - Daniela McConville, a 2017 graduate of Mendota High School, was recently presented the school’s highest agricultural honor, the DEKALB Agricultural Accomplishment Award, sponsored by Monsanto Company.

McConville received the award for excellence in academics, leadership and agricultural work experience. Her significant experiences and accomplishments include being listed on the honor roll her entire high school career and being named an Illinois State Scholar. She attended various leadership conferences through FFA including the Illinois FFA State Convention and the National FFA Convention and Expo as well as serving as Historian and Jr. Advisor for the Mendota FFA Chapter. She also participated in several other school activities most notably serving as editor of the Atodnem Yearbook this past year.

Through her Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) project, working for 11th Street Nursery in Mendota, McConville gained valuable real-world experiences. The combination of FFA involvement and SAE experience qualified her for State FFA Degree, the highest award bestowed by the Illinois Association FFA.

McConville is the daughter of Dan and Joanna McConville. Her agricultural education instructor at Mendota Township High School was Matthew Meyer.

This year the DEKALB Agricultural Accomplishment Award celebrates its 70th anniversary. In this time, more than 168,000 high school seniors from across the country have received the award, which has become a symbol for excellence and the school’s highest agricultural honor. As the winner of the 2017 award, McConville’s name will be recorded on a permanent plaque displayed at Mendota High School.