Jessica Webb
editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com
On Friday, May 17, Swain County High School Future Farmers of America held its annual banquet at the high school gym. It was a relatively small event as seniors were recognized, awards were presented to club members and club supporters and next school year’s officers were installed.
A feature of the night was a check awarded to the program in the amount of $13,000 from the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund presented by NC State University Western Region Agriculture Education Coordinator Andy VonCanon. This agriculture education improvement grant funding is for a new sorghum press so FFA can continue to make molasses. FFA conducts demonstrations at the Oconaluftee Visitor’s Center every year and at Darnell Farms.
VonCanon said the fund has provided up to $300,000 across the state toward educational programs. The goal, he said, is to promote educational experiences for students with the hope many will take the opportunity to pursue careers in agriculture.
Swain High’s FFA had 45 members this school year and 45 off-campus activities. These include various livestock contests, with week-long trips to Raleigh and even Indianapolis, Indiana. They also take visits to universities and participated in the regional rally held at Blue Ridge Community College. There’s a week-long leadership camp some attend as well.
Student leadership was central to the evening’s ceremonies as the officers operated the meeting with the full formalities of the FFA organization.
Outgoing president and graduating senior Eva Bottchenbaugh gave a heartfelt senior speech sharing how membership in FFA helped her grow as a person.
She described herself as an indigenous kid with no background in agriculture. She recalled entering advisor Toby Sorrell’s class and seeing a chicken on the desk—“it was so unusual, but it was being treated like a normal thing,” she said.
Bottchenbaugh described Sorrell as having a “heart as tall as he is” and thanked him and FFA for teaching her to have self-confidence, saying it was something that she struggled with. It was evident she has since become a true leader for the group.
In closing, she encouraged everyone to try new things and get out of their comfort zones. When she finished her speech, the other council members joined her in a group hug.