The Eastwood FFA retiring officers, speaking at the chapter’s 64th annual banquet, shared their reasons for participating in FFA activities and opportunities.
From Career Development Events that provide practical, real-world skills, to attending state and national conventions that create lifelong connections, the FFA officers each talked about the activities and experiences that meant the most to them. There was a common theme across their talks; they affirmed that Chapter Adviser Jerry Swartz’s mantra was right: “What you put in is what you get out of FFA.”
Based on the number and scope of awards presented, the FFA members took their ag teacher’s words to heart.
Two members, who graduated from the program, have continued their commitment to their FFA work and are candidates to receive the American FFA Degree at the National FFA Convention in the fall. Jocelin Gallaher and Riley Burtchin are on track to receive the top degree in the FFA. Jocelin, the daughter of Jeremiah and Casey Gallaher, worked at Gallaher Farms, Dusty Boots Farm and Warnimont Performance Horses. Currently, she is an agricultural business student at the University of Tennessee-Martin.
Cameron Brinker, Keira Buchman, Camille Foos, Jenna Gallant, and Conner Hiser were introduced as recipients of the State FFA Degree.
Among the top awards presented during the annual banquet are the Star Greenhand, DeKalb Award, Ag Credit 110% Award, Star Chapter Ag Production Award, and Star Chapter Ag Placement Award.
Four students were selected to receive the Star Greenhand award for active participation and increased knowledge in leadership. This year’s recipients are Addison Hannan, Gavin Richards, Katelin Russell and Emery Wensink.
The Dekalb Award is given to the top senior in agriculture. Kamryn Sundermeier earned the award as a scholar in the classroom, a great contributor to the chapter, and for a strong Supervised Agricultural Experience. Kamryn was employed at Alexander Christmas Tree Farm, Ashbury Landscaping, and Sundermeier Farms. She has also been an active member of the Eastwood girls’ golf team, FCA, and National Honor Society.
The Ag Credit 110% award is given to the member that doesn’t always get the recognition but puts forth the effort and hard work needed to complete the tasks and projects that need to be done. Charlotte Smith has attended numerous FFA events and helped with countless service activities throughout her time in FFA. She has been active with the setup and cleanup for Babyland during the Wood County Fair, has spent numerous hours helping with the Luckey Fall Festival Tractor Pull, and the Angel Tree.
The Star Chapter Production Award is won by the student who presents a strong production SAE, balanced with outstanding FFA activities, accomplishments, scholarship, along with school and community leadership. Lauren Frobose earned the award for her SAE of raising and showing beef cattle at the Pemberville Free Fair and for her employment at the Frobose Market IGA. Outside of FFA, she is a member of the Eastwood High School Band and is a majorette.
The Star Chapter Ag Placement Award was presented to Frances Lockyer. She has worked over 5,000 hours at Lockyer Farms, Green and White Stables, and Red Dragon Equestrian. Outside of FFA, she has been a member of the track and basketball teams, Key Club, and People Inc.
Some of the awards of the evening are presented to FFA supporters rather than current members. The Honorary FFA Degree recognizes the efforts of others on behalf of the chapter and its members. Honorary Degree awards were presented to Nick Hannan, Julie Hannan and Ashley Emerine.
Nick Hannan is Eastwood transportation and operations director who is always helping the chapter prepare for events such as the chicken barbecue. Julie Hannan was Wood County Junior Fair coordinator who helped members carry out junior fair FFA events at the Wood County Fair. She also is a bus driver for many FFA events including the Ohio FFA Convention. Ashley Emerine is an Eastwood High School math teacher, who has served as a chaperone for the State FFA Convention and is supportive of FFA activities.
Proficiency awards recognize students for excelling in their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) Programs, said Gigi Cancelliere.
Frances Lockyer earned a proficiency award in equine placement proficiency with over 5,000 hours at a combination of Lockyer Farms, Red Dragon Horse Training, and Green and White Stables. She placed first in the district. She also kept accurate minutes at the chapter meetings and received a gold rating for her secretary’s record book.
Treasurer Kamryn Sundermeier completed efficient treasurer’s records and represented the chapter well. She received a gold rating for her record book.
Cameron Brinker, reporter, created a chapter scrapbook and submitted numerous articles to area publications. He received a silver rating for his chapter scrapbook.
Career Development Events
Career Development Events build students’ skills that they will need in the future. The activities allow students to demonstrate their ability in judging, identifying and memorizing information.
Soil judging is one of the first CDEs in the fall, said Paityn Bart. Students learn to identify soils. In rural soil judging, they learn how the quality of the soil affects crop production, and in urban soil judging, they analyze soils for building and construction of homes and other structures.
At the county level, the Rural Soil team of Evie Althaus, Colt Eynon, Addison Hannan, Paige Blackmore, Gigi Cancelliere, David Claydon, Nathan Frobose, Aaron Foos, Brendan Hiser, Brayden Luidhardt, Kyle Martin, Zach Menchhofer, Caydan Monaco, Everett Ward, Keira Buchman, Maddie Hartman, Mack Miller, Brynn Sheets, Noah Sikora, Camille Foos, Dawson Bushman, Conner Hiser, and Frances Lockyer placed second.
Those who advanced to the district contest and placed seventh as a team included Addison Hannan, David Claydon, Nathan Frobose, Keira Buchman, Maddie Hartman, Camille Foos, and Frances Lockyer.
The Urban Soil team of Carrie Brinker, Genevieve Ridenour, and Cameron Brinker competed in the county contest and then advanced to the District CDE.
The Advanced Parliamentary Procedure team, with members Cameron Brinker, Frances Lockyer, Kamryn Sundermeier, Kennedy Ameling, Camille Foos, and Kyle Martin, placed third at the county and sub-district contests.
The Food Science and Technology Career team included Brynn Sheets, Raegan Russell, Frances Lockyer, Scott McKenzie, Bree Hayden, Kyle Martin, Aubrey Porter, and Katelin Russell. The team advanced to the district competition where they placed second. Raegan, Frances, Brynn and Scott advanced to the state contest and placed 17th overall.
Josh Bingham, Carrie Brinker, Adam Falardeau, Cailynn Gonyer, Addison Hannan, Cooper Hartman, Ava Majzun, Brady Mullholand, Gavin Richards, Olivia Riter, Katelin Russell, Mya Wagner, and Emery Wensink competed in the Greenhand CDE quiz. Olivia Riter placed first, Carrie Brinker placed second, and Emery Wensink placed third locally.
At the state level Greenhand CDE quiz, the top four scores were completed by Addison Hannan, Cole Schimmoeller, Gavin Richards and Evelyn Althaus. They placed first in the district and 35th in the state.
In the Job Interview Competition, Evie Althaus placed fifth in the county Division 1 competition; in Division 2, Bree Hayden placed fourth in the county; in Division 4, Kamryn Sundermeier placed first in the county and fifth at district, and Kaydance Rutherford placed sixth in the county.
In the small engines contest, Logan Kiefer, Kyle Martin, Noah Sikora and Jackson Vetter participated in the online test. Logan and Jackson participated in the district contest and placed 12th.
Farm Business Management is an online CDE to test production agricultural knowledge to help members become effective farm managers. The team of Dawson Bushman, Collin Chamberlain, Lauren Frobose, Jenna Gallant, Frances Lockyer, Whitley Lubash, Drew Luidhardt, Caden Oberhouse, Jackson Schuerman, Charlotte Smith, Hunter Wilson, Zurie Sanford, Cam Schumaker, Gage Stephenson, Aaron Foos, Cayden Monaco, Brodie Szymanski, Jackson Vetter, Carrie Brinker, and Genevieve Ridenour placed in the district and 44th in the state. The top four scores were Cam Schumaker, Charlotte Smith, Drew Luidhardt, and Jackson Vetter.
Public Speaking events include the Creed Contest, Extemporaneous Speaking, and Beginning Prepared Speaking.
Those participating in the Creed contest at the Greenhand Ceremony included Addison Hannan, Ava Majzun, Gabby Provo, Gavin Richards, and Emery Wensink. Emery placed first, and Addison placed second in the county contest. At the district contest, Addison placed third, and Emery placed sixth.
Scott McKenzie and Bree Hayden competed in the extemporaneous contest this year. Bree placed first in the county and first in the district. She went on to the state contest, where she placed 10th in her room. Scott placed second in the county and 10th in the district.
Gavin Richards represented the chapter in the Beginning Prepared contest. He placed third in the county.
This year, Alivia Cox, Frances Lockyer, Gigi Cancelliere, Scott McKenzie, and Paityn Bart competed in the Equine Management CDE at the District 1 Invitational and placed second as a team. Frances got seventh as an individual, and Alivia placed 11th.
Kennedy Ameling, Dawson Bushman, Conner Hiser, Jack Sensenig, Kamryn Sundermeier, Cayden Monaco, Jackson Vetter, Evie Althaus, Sophie Gillespie, Alivia Monaco, Gracyn Reiter, Gavin Richards, and Genevieve Ridenour all competed in the General Livestock Contest at the District 1 invitational. The team placed fourth overall with Gavin Richards placing eighth and Kennedy Ameling placing 18th as individuals. Gavin also competed in the state contest where he placed 122nd out of over 900 participants.
Cameron Brinker, Carrie Brinker, Charlotte Smith, Cooper Hartman, and Logan Kiefer competed in the Nature and Wildlife Management judging at the District 1 Invitational, where they placed fourth as a team. Individually, Cameron placed first and Charlotte placed sixth.
Camille Foos was the top salesperson for the chapter’s annual fruit sale. She sold 57.75 units of fruit. Together, Drew and Brayden Luidhart sold 57.5 units for second place. Emery Wensink sold 32 units and placed third. Gigi Cancelliere placed fourth and sold 24.75 units, and Collin Chamberlain sold 24.25 units and placed fifth.
The top three members in meal sales for the chapter’s chicken barbecue fundraiser were first place, Brendan and Conner Hiser, 60 meals; second place, Trenton McBride, who sold 56 meals; and third place, Camille Foos, who sold 49 meals.
Students with a 3.5 GPA and above earn academic excellence awards.
Recipients this year in the Freshman Class are Evie Althaus, Macie Bradley, Cailynn Gonyer, Addison Hannan, Ava Majzun (May-zin), Brady Mullholand, Olivia Riter, Katelin Russell, Emery Wensink, Connor Duquette, Xander Lauer, Addy Lennard, Alivia Monaco, Elena Olivarez, Gabby Provo, Gracyn Reiter, Cole Schimmoeller, Levi Strayer and Mya Wagner.
Sophomores who earned academic excellence honors include Paige Blackmore, Gigi Cancelliere, David Claydon, Aaron Foos, Bree Hayden, Aubrey Porter, Brayden Luidhardt, Scott McKenzie, Zach Menchhofer, Jackson Vetter and Everett Ward.
Junior class academic excellence honorees are Keira Buchman, Camille Foos, Maddie Hartman, Mackenna Miller, Raegan Russell, Zurie Sanford, Cam Schumaker, Brynn Sheets, Noah Sikora, and Gage Stephenson.
Seniors Kennedy Ameling, Cameron Brinker, Collin Chamberlain, Frances Lockyer, Whitley Lubash, Drew Luidhardt, Caden Oberhouse, Kaydance Rutherford, Jackson Schuerman, Jack Sensenig, Charlotte Smith, Kamryn Sundermeier and Hunter Wilson were all presented academic excellence pins.
Leadership awards, for freshmen or sophomores who have shown great potential, were presented to freshmen Evie Althaus, Paityn Bart, Cailynn Gonyer, Addison Hannan, Ava Majzun, Brady Mullholand, Olivia Riter, Katelin Russell, Emery Wensink, Carrie Brinker, Cooper Hartman, Alivia Monaco, Elena Olivarez, Gabby Provo, Gracyn Reiter, Gavin Richards, Genevieve Ridenour, and Mya Wagner, and sophomores, Paige Blackmore, Cayden Monaco, and Brodie Szymanski.
Numerous scholarships are awarded during the banquet. This year’s scholarship recipients are as follows:
- Mitch Aring Memorial Scholarship: Jackson Schuerman
- Howard and Helen Grover Memorial Scholarship: Cameron Brinker, Drew Luidhardt and Kamryn Sundermeier
- Eastwood 2000 FFA Scholarship: Kennedy Ameling
- Clarence C. Spoerl Memorial Scholarship: Collin Chamberlain
- Jim Eckel Memorial Scholarship: Collin Chamberlain
- David Little Extra Mile Scholarship: Lauren Frobose
- Lang Family Memorial Scholarship: Jackson Schuerman
- Jerry Farmer Memorial Scholarship: Jackson Schuerman and Frances Lockyer
- Frobose Entrepreneurial Scholarship: Jackson Schuerman
- Skylar Roberts Memorial Scholarship: Caden Oberhouse
- Eastwood Four Year FFA Scholarships: Kennedy Ameling, Cameron Brinker, Dawson Bushman, Collin Chamberlain, Alivia Cox, Lauren Frobose, Jenna Gallant, Conner Hiser, Frances Lockyer, Whitley Lubash, Drwe Luidhardt, Caden Oberhouse, Kaydance Rutherford, Jackson Schuerman, Jack Sensenig, Charlotte Smith, Kamryn Sundermeuer and Hunter Wilson.
- Wood County Soil and Water Award: Cameron Brinker
- Washington Leadership Scholarship: David Claydon
At the close of the ceremony, the new officers for 2026-27 were introduced: President David Claydon, Vice President Gavin Richards, Secretary Aaron Foos, Treasurer Noah Sikora, Reporter Addison Hannan, Sentinel Mack Miller, and Student Advisor Bree Hayden.
