Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Kapusta
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 11/20/2019
Kapusta Earns American FFA Degree (2019)
Janalee Kapusta (center) has earned her American FFA Degree, the highest honor an FFA member can receive. Family members came along with Janalee to Indianapolis, IN, to see her bestowed with this honor, including mom Janet, dad Scot and sister Isabella. They spent a few days together in Indianapolis and saw sights like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Submitted photo
By Valerie Brecht
Janalee Kapusta achieved an honor that only one percent of FFA members attain.
Kapusta, a 2016 Neillsville High School graduate, received her American FFA Degree at the 92nd National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, IN.
“It was exciting. It is a lot of fun when you hear your name called,” said Kapusta.
The ceremony took place Saturday, Nov. 2, in Lucas Oil Stadium. More than 4,000 people received the award.
“The recipients were awarded by state, A-Z, so I had to wait until they got to Wisconsin. I was number 4200-something,” said Kapusta.
When her time finally came, Kapusta got to walk across the stage and shake hands with the national officer and state coordinator and got her picture taken with each of them. She received a certificate and a gold key, recognizing the American FFA Degree as the “gold standard” of the National FFA Organization.
Although the presentation was over in a moment, Kapusta put in a lot of effort to reach that point.
Kapusta is an active FFA member. To be eligible for the American FFA Degree, Kapusta first had to earn her Greenhand, Chapter and State degrees.
Another requirement is that she showed records of participation in “an outstanding supervised agricultural experience program, through which the member has exhibited comprehensive planning and managerial and financial expertise.”
Kapusta also had to earn at least $10,000 and productively invest $7,500 in an agriculture-related field.
Kapusta met those last two requirements through her supervised agriculture experience at the Clark County Humane Society. She works at the Fix-A-Pet program, which provides low-cost spaying and neutering the people’s pets and the shelter’s pets.
Kapusta’s responsibilities include holding the animals while they receive shots, checking the animal’s weight, shaving and sterilizing animals to prepare for surgery and assisting the veterinarian with getting their tools. She works at the humane society about 20 to 30 hours per week.
Kapusta is also enrolled in Penn Foster College online in a veterinary technician program.
“My mom is a vet tech, so I guess it runs in the family,” said Kapusta.
Her mom also was in FFA growing up.
Education was another part of Kapusta’s American FFA Degree. She had to complete the equivalent of at least three years, or 540 hours, of systematic high school or post-secondary school instruction in agricultural education.
In addition, she had to compete 50 hours of community service, which she did through helping fair participants as Fairest of the Fair this year and a runner-up the two years before that. She helped clean up highways through Adopt-A-Highway and raked leaves for community members.
Another requirement was that Kapusta have a record of “outstanding leadership abilities and community involvement.”
When Kapusta completed her application for the American FFA Degree, she sent it to the state association for approval before it went to the National FFA Board of Directors for review and degree conferral.
Kapusta was inspired to earn the American FFA Degree because of her love for the FFA organization.
“I always loved FFA and wanted to stay involved,” she said. “It is a lot of work to earn [the American FFA Degree], but you’ve just got to put your mind to it. It’s a great experience and opportunity.”
Kapusta said she plans to stay involved in FFA by joining the alumni organization and volunteering when she can.
