The Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter held the Awards Program on Sunday, May 4th, 2025. It was a great opportunity to honor the members and chapter leaders as well as the major supporters for the chapter throughout the year.
Successes this year for the Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter include: 89 Discovery Degrees (7th & 8th graders), 48 Greenhand Degrees, 47 Chapter Degrees and 13 State Degrees. Many awards were presented to the active members and leaders of the Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter.
This year our FFA Chapter has continued with our Service Theme and conducted several different programs and activities. They include the following: Adopt-a-Senior Program – members participated in making cards for 98 Nursing Home and Countryside Living Residents each month. Wee Deliver Program –members participated in writing letters to 61 third grade students (Pen Pals) each month. Service – members helped with the Backpack Supplies project with United Way, the Backpack Food Project with Trinity, making extra-large Valentines for residents, making 2 x 4 pumpkins for nursing home residents, tying blankets, teaching safety at various events, and more.
The Sleepy Eye FFA members who participated in at least four of these programs were named 4- 6 Star Members. If members participated in at least 7 of the programs they were named a Star Leader. 17 FFA members were presented with certificates for being a 4-6 Star Member and 26 members were presented with trophies for being a 7-12 Star Leader.
The Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter presented three Diamond Awards to supporters of the Chapter and its members. The Diamond Award went to Sleepy Eye Sportsman’s Club, Miller Sellner Implement, and Schwartz Farms.
This year there were six Platinum, TOP LEVEL Sponsors – Edward Jones- Bill & Julie Ries, Cunningham Seed Farms, Central Region Cooperative, CHS, Sleepy Eye Servicemen’s Club, and Mary Ann Christensen.
These businesses and individuals supported FFA members by providing new FFA Jackets, sponsored Chapter and Crop Show Awards, Ag. Program needs, Conventions, Service Projects, and much more.
Each year, top scholar awards are presented to one active FFA member in each grade who has the highest GPA in their respective class. These members received a plaque and a scholarship pin: Kenley Jensen (freshmen), Megan Sellner (sophomore), Taylor Berkner (junior), Nora Coulson (senior).
We also recognized members that participated in CDE’s, Agriscience Fair, State FFA Band & Choir, and State Proficiencies.
The Honorary Chapter Degree award is presented to an individual who supports the Sleepy Eye FFA in exceptional ways throughout the year. This year’s Honorary Chapter Degree was presented to an individual who is a great help to our FFA chapter and Ag. program – Morgan Hoffmann.
There were two people who were presented with an Appreciation Award for 2025: Jill Nelson and Rachel Kucera, both coaches for FFA teams.
The fruit sale was a successful fundraiser for our FFA Chapter this year. A great deal of thanks goes to our 4 top sellers who sold nearly $8000 of products for the fruit sales. The Top Junior High Fruit Seller was Allanah Urbano with over $3000 of products sold. The 2nd Place Junior High Top Seller was Aubree Rathman with over $850 in sales. Our Top High School Fruit Seller was Destiney Dittbenner with over $2000 of products sold. The 2nd Place High School Top Seller was Santi Martinez Paredes with over $2000 in Sales.
The leadership awards are presented to FFA members from each class who displayed tremendous amounts of leadership skills throughout the year and who participated in numerous FFA events. The freshman winners were Breanna Lopez and Kamille Capacia. Sophomore recipients included: Jace Schauman and Jaden Stone. Taylor Berkner, Kayden Klein, Alex Confer, Carter Lazatin were the Junior winners. Senior winners included: Anna Johnson, James Moore, and Noah Christensen.
The Phoenix Awards are presented each year for Students who are upcoming leaders. These individuals got involved, got others involved, and showed true enthusiasm for the FFA. This year’s Phoenix Award Winners were Ava Sellner, Paola Gonzalez, Charlie Hoffmann, Cameron Moore.
The Star Greenhand Award goes to the most outstanding Freshmen Greenhand degree participant for the year. This award is presented to a first year high school member who is active in the chapter, and who has demonstrated leadership and scholarship. This year’s Star Greenhand was CAMRYN MAHER.
The Sophomore Achievement Award states, “Overall Success is Achieved through Hard Work and Dedication.” The Sophomore Achievement Award Winner for 2025 was ERIC LOZANO.
NOAH ROSSBACH received the Outstanding Junior Award, called the Blue and Gold Award. This award acknowledges someone for overall achievement in the FFA.
The Star in Ag. Placement Award is presented to a member who has an outstanding production placement SAE program and who is involved in all areas of the chapter’s activities. A placement SAE program means that you have a project where you work for someone in agriculture. This year’s winner of Chapter Star in Ag. Placement was RACHEL PORTNER.
This year’s recipient of the Dekalb Agricultural Accomplishment Award was LILY KALLEVIG. This award is presented to the most outstanding senior in the areas of scholarship, leadership, and supervised agricultural experience.
The 2024-25 Retiring FFA Officer Team was recognized for their exceptional efforts in leading the Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter for the year. This was followed by the installation with the 2025-26 FFA Officer Team.
The night ended with a tribute to Mrs. Hoffmann. Several alumni of the chapter came to the banquet. Harley Braun, St. Paul Highland Park Ag. Teacher and former SEPS student spoke and then a video was shown. The video included more alumni, state staff, and other Ag. teachers who spoke about what they have learned from Mrs. Hoffmann over the years. Hoffmann, after 30 years of teaching, is taking a leave of absence and everyone wished her well.
Looking back at the past 19 years since Mrs. Hoffmann came here in 2006: Sleepy Eye has Qualified 188 State CDE Teams/Events and Sleepy Eye members have earned: 184 State FFA Degrees, 105 State Top 3 Proficiencies, 43 State Winning Proficiencies,15 State Winning CDE Teams, 61 American FFA Degrees, 16 National Proficiency Finalists, and 4 National Proficiency Winners!
Mrs. Hoffmann commented on the year, “I am so proud of all of the hard work and dedication the members show on a daily basis – through their efforts with CDE’s, their SAE’s, Ag. Classes, and Community Services projects. What a great year this has been!”
Hoffmann added, “And now, to bring everything to a close with a great State FFA Convention, having 76 individuals go to state is amazing. Having 13 State Degrees and 3 State Winning Proficiency Finalists… being named the winner of the Community Service Model of Innovation, Top chapter in the state for the Ag. Literacy Challenge and the Land of Service Award, and last, but certainly not least, earning the Runner Up Premier Chapter in the state for the National Chapter Award.
She concluded with, “This past year, the students have stepped up to continue to make this school and community a better place. They have truly achieved on a personal level as well as showed what it means to work as a family as we celebrate the Timeless Traditions of this Chapter for the past 85 years!”