MENDOTA - Mendota High School student Owen Wixom was selected as the District FFA Proficiency Winner in Agriculture Mechanics Repair & Maintenance - Placement. Wixom is a member of the Mendota FFA Chapter of the Illinois Association FFA, which recognizes students in 50 different areas based on their work-based learning, also known as Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE).

FFA members such as Wixom, 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.

Wixom was selected as the District 2 Winner by a committee of agriculture industry representatives and teachers knowledgeable in this work-based area. He is the son of Mark and Juli Wixom of Mendota.

Receiving this honor makes Wixom eligible to compete in the State FFA Awards Selection process in Urbana-Champaign on March 24. He was previously chosen as the Chapter and Section 7 awardee, was the Chapter winner and competed at the Section level in the area of Beef Production - Entrepreneurship.

Wixom has served as the sentinel of the Mendota FFA Chapter and currently serves as president. He has participated in several Career Development Events (CDEs) including Agronomy, Livestock Evaluation, Meat Evaluation, Agriculture Mechanics, and Parliamentary Procedure. He has attended both state and national conventions as well as the 212° and 360° Conferences and the Section 7 FFA Leadership Training School (LTS). Matthew Meyer is the agriculture teacher and FFA Advisor at Mendota High School.

Wixom will receive plaques for his accomplishments. The plaques are made possible by gifts by individuals, businesses, corporations and organizations through the Illinois Foundation FFA.