Local student receives highest honor | News, Sports, Jobs – The … – LockHaven.Com

BREANNA HANLEY/THE EXPRESS
Blaine Walizer, center, is pictured with advisors Chuck Bechdel, Robbie Weaver, Kim Bohartz and Jamie Fox.

PHOTO PROVIDED
Blaine Walizer poses for a picture with his American FFA Degree.

LOGANTON — One student who graduated from Sugar Valley Rural Charter School has achieved one of the highest honors from the National Future Farmers of America Organization.

Blaine Walizer has recently received the American degree at the 96th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis — one of 82 students in the entirety of Pennsylvania to do so.

According to agweek.com, less than one percent of FFA members go on to complete their American Degree. It’s one of the National FFA Organization’s highest honors.

The FFA member who receives this degree must demonstrate outstanding achievement, active FFA and SAE participation and an exemplary scholastic record.

There are many requirements that must be completed before a student is eligible to receive the award. A few of these requirements are:

— The student must have been an active member for the past 36 months and have a record of satisfactory participation in activities on the chapter and state level.

— They must have satisfactorily completed the equivalent of at least three years (540 hours) of systematic secondary school instruction in an agricultural education program, or have completed at least the equivalent of 360 hours of systematic secondary school instruction in agricultural education and one full year of enrollment in a postsecondary agricultural program, or have completed the program of agricultural education offered in the secondary school last attended.

— Have participated in at least 50 hours of community service within at least three different community service activities. These hours are in addition to and cannot be duplicated as paid or unpaid supervised agricultural experience hours.

Walizer has achieved many other degrees over his years with the FFA as well, including: Discovery degrees 1 and 2, Greenhand degree, Chapter farmer degree and State Keystone degree. Until you achieve the State degree you’re unable to get the American degree.

He had to keep track of his FFA achievements and activities from the time he entered Agriculture Education in 9th grade, all the way to graduation.

“The list of requirements looks extensive. It’s really not as long as you keep up with your books — that’s the biggest piece of advice I’d want to give to anybody. Keep up with your books throughout the years if you’re planning to take it a step further, it’s going to make your life a breeze,” said Walizer.

According to a list of American Degrees given to Pennsylvania students since 1930, Walizer is one of seven in the county to receive the award. The recipients include:

— Richard Fox, of Mill Hall, in 1941

— F. Lee Shoemaker, of Lock Haven, in 1943

— George Bailey, of Jersey Shore, in 1947

— Thomas Dunlap, of Jersey Shore, in 1955

— Edward Snook, of Loganton, in 1963

— Gerald Seyler, of Loganton, in 1974

That makes Walizer the first in almost 50 years and the first student ever at Sugar Valley Rural Charter School to achieve this degree.

“It shows dedication to the industry and the future of agriculture,” said Walizer. “If you’ve done something great, you might as well go the extra mile to be recognized for it. It also sets a precedent for the area.”

Walizer, though he’s graduated from SVRCS already and attending the Pennsylvania College of Technology for Business Management, is still passionate about his time with the FFA.

“Being involved in FFA is probably one of the greatest things you can do. You don’t have to be directly involved in agriculture itself because FFA encompasses a wide variety of fields — science, technology, engineering, mathematics. All of those play a vital role in the agriculture industry. It is vast and varied, where everything comes full circle. Being in FFA will lead you on a path to places you might not have otherwise gotten to see,” said Walizer.

Walizer, who works for Dotterer Dairy, has been Clinton County Farm Bureau Director since October 2022, and is passionate about the agriculture industry in general. He’s gone to numerous conferences with the bureau, and has been able to speak about the issues the agriculture industry is facing currently.

“We are at a pivotal moment in agriculture right now where we need more of this generation to step up and take an interest in these fields or else we’ll be faced with bigger issues in the future. A successful tomorrow is rooted in the decisions and investments we make today,” said Walizer.

Advisors Chuck Bechdel, Robbie Weaver, Kim Bohartz and Jamie Fox were beyond proud of Walizer and the way he represented SVRCS.

Likewise, Walizer was thankful for his advisors and all they’d done throughout his years with the FFA.

“You can’t forget where you come from and how you got where you are. You must give credit where credit is due,” said Walizer.

Walizer’s influence has already lit some fires throughout the SVRCS FFA.

According to Bechdel, he’s already had a couple of eighth grade students come up to him and say, “I want the American Degree. What should I do?”