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Three H-BC FFA'ers earn free blue jackets

Lead Summary
By
Mavis Fodness

Freshmen Collin Schoneman, Sophia VanSurksum and Joshua Wiersema recently received the traditional corduroy blue jackets of active FFA members.
While members typically buy the official FFA garment, the three Hills-Beaver Creek High School students received their jackets free through the Minnesota FFA Foundation.
Each year the Foundation organizes the Blue Jackets Bright Futures program, which provides FFA jackets to youth who are starting their FFA careers.
Fall 2019 marked the 12th year the foundation distributed $85 jackets.
The jackets come personalized with the student’s name embroidered on front with the official FFA emblem and chapter name on the back.
An interest in agriculture led the three students to join the H-BC chapter.
VanSurksum said she is interested in an ag career along with the leadership opportunities FFA provides, which she still views as male-dominated.
“It doesn’t always have to be the boys involved in farming and FFA,” she said.
Small animal production is an interest of VanSurksum’s and she has plans to explore various ag careers as her supervised agricultural experience project.
Her fellow FFA’ers share an interest in career exploration.
“I like agriculture,” Wiersema said.
He plans to explore swine production for his SAE.
Schoneman’s interest in firearms is leading to a possible entrepreneurship in gun refurbishing. He’s already completed four projects.
Adviser Katie Rogers said the blue jackets are much more than a necessary garment for members to wear at regional, state and national FFA leadership and career development activities.
“To me the blue jacket is a symbol of the future in agriculture,” she said. “As an adviser, I get to see my students excel and compete in events while wearing it.”
The blue jackets are identical among high school and college chapters nationwide.
“The jacket connects each of them in common beliefs and pursuits. I actually received my first jacket through the Blue Jackets Bright Futures program when I was in high school,” she said. “This program means a lot to me personally and as an adviser.”

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