Ryan Olson and Roland Norris
Douglas High School student and Carson Valley resident Ryan Olson was named only the third state FFA President in the 93 years the Carson Valley FFA has had a charter.
Fellow student FFA member Roland Norris was named the first state treasurer for the Valley at the 93rd Nevada FFA Association State Convention in Reno on March 18.
The Nevada FFA Association nominates and elects six different youth officer positions for the betterment of state agriculture education every year.
Serving on the committee was the chapter’s Grace Tekansik.
“It is a daunting, but rewarding task,” Tekansik said. “The state convention was one to remember, and I’m so proud of my best friends and for all they’ve accomplished.”
The nomination committee elected six officers from across the state of Nevada including Sabre Rain from Diamond Mountain FFA as State Sentinel, Sonny Lopez from Battle Mountain FFA as State Reporter, Lander Smith from Carson City (Capitol) FFA as State Secretary, Gabriella Minoretti from Diamond Mountain FFA as State Vice-President, in addition to Olson and Norris.
While in Reno, students had the opportunity to compete in career development events, leadership development events, participate in state delegate duties, and learn from a variety of workshops.
As a chapter, Carson Valley FFA students won Best Dressed Chapter while at the general sessions.
The Floriculture team consisting of Kate Barnes, Janes Barnes, Josie Peek, Valerie Vieira, and Baltija Scherl won second place High Team. Kate Barnes won first place High Individual, and Jane Barnes won second place High Individual.
The veterinary team, consisting of Caroline Schofield, Evelyn Baker, Madeline Moody, Bliss Moody, Jane Barnes, Ember Kelly, and Izabella Young competed in both novice and senior veterinary competitions. As a team, they won fourth place High Team in Novice Veterinary and fifth place High Team in senior veterinary, respectively.
The chapter also had three delegates vote on state association bylaws: Gracie Watts, Cheyenne Williams, and Kaitlyn Plummer.
Members Aaron Tekansik, Gage Black, Lila Ellis, and Sierra Fehr helped set-up the general sessions.
Carson Valley FFA Chapter Advisor Lauren Gates expressed her pride in the student’s ability to maintain respect and integrity throughout the convention by connecting with other students, making everyone feel welcome, and teaching other fun activities such as swing dancing.
