Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Jakobi, Hinkelmann, Wilke, Donnerbauer
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 7/13/2022
Three From Loyal Earn State FFA Degree (2022)
Three Loyal FFA members have earned their State FFA Degree (l-r) Brandon Jakobi, Devani
Hinklemann and Nick Wilke. Submitted photo
Three Loyal High School graduates have achieved the highest award an FFA member can earn at the state level.
Devani Hinkelmann, Brandon Jakobi and Nick Wilke earned the State FFA Degree and received their awards at the State FFA Convention, held in Madison at the Alliant Energy Center June 13-16.
To get the state degree they had to meet the following criteria:
Completed at least 360 hours of agriculture education instruction while in high school.
Have at least 24 months of FFA membership at the time of application.
Have received the Greenhand and Chapter FFA degrees.
Have earned and productively invested $1,500 or worked 1,000 hours in a supervised agricultural experience (SAE).
Participated in at least five different FFA activities above the chapter level.
Participated in the planning and completion of the chapter program of activities.
Have gained at least six skills or competencies gained through his SAE.
Given at least two public speeches with an agricultural topic, each at least five minutes in length.
Demonstrated leadership by performing 10 parliamentary procedure activities.
Shown a satisfactory record of scholarship, as certified by a school administrator.
Have served in at least four of the following six capacities: chapter FFA officer, FFA committee chair, FFA committee member, official state FFA representative in national or regional FFA activity, school activity (not FFA), or community activity (not FFA).
Have participated in at least 25 additional, unduplicated hours of community service.
Each student participated in his or her own SAE to earn hours for this award. Jakobi worked on his family dairy farm and another local farm and provided a round baling service as his own business. Hinkelmann worked at Northside Elevator as an office assistant. Wilke worked in food service at A&W, as well as sold Christmas trees during the holidays.
All three of them have served multiple years as chapter officers, as well as committee chairmen.
They have also been involved in upper-level FFA events or activities beyond the chapter level. Jakobi and Hinkelmann have filled out proficiency applications to showcase their SAEs. Both were recognized at the state level this year, as well as Jakobi’s SAE being recognized nationally last year. They all have participated in various leadership conferences and workshops. Hinkelmann and Wilke served as delegates at State FFA Convention.
The Loyal graduates have volunteered with highway cleanup, trick-or-treat for a reason, food drives, farmer appreciation and many other activities in and out of FFA.
“All the state degree recipients are excellent students and FFA members,” wrote Loyal FFA advisor Stephanie Donnerbauer in an email. “Brandon is very hardworking and would go out of his way to help anyone. He takes pride in his work and is incredibly talented at making things with his hands. Devani is the mom of our group; she is always prepared and takes care of everyone. She is organized and shows great maturity. Nick is very outgoing; he can talk to anyone. He is very well-rounded and is a leader in more organizations than almost any other student.”
The students have set their plans for postsecondary education.
Hinkelmann has been elected as Wisconsin FFA Section Seven State Officer. After her term as officer, she plans to study marketing communications at UW-River Falls.
Jakobi plans to attend Northcentral Technical College in Wausau for the machine tool and technics program.
Wilke plans to attend Colorado State University to study biology.
