Otselic Valley Central School District

A special guest returned to Otselic Valley for a special reason: Joe Roodenburg took in-person delivery of his American F F A Degree key and certificate, representing the highest degree available in the National F F A organization. Joe and Austin Sherman, both members of the Class of 2020, joined Sarah Robinson in being the only three recipients of the American Degree in the history of the Georgetown F F A, South Otselic F F A, or Otselic Valley F F A. Austin and Joe would have been awarded their American Degrees at the 2021 National F F A Convention & Expo but were unable to attend in person.Joe’s return to Otselic Valley included a brief presentation by Ms. Parrott with Mrs. Wendy Roodenburg, an OV staffmember and Joe’s mom, and agriculture students.  Also greeting Joe were Principal Shelly Richards and teacher Eric Wentworth, with whom Joe shares a keen interest in American history. To celebrate further, both Austin and Joe will be invited to the Otselic Valley F F A banquet at the end of the year for additional recognition.This achievement by Austin, Joe, and Sarah is significant. In order to be eligible for the American Degree, they had to have received a State F F A Degree, held active membership for 3 years, completed secondary instruction in an agricultural education program, and operated a supervised agriculture experience program. All American Degree earners also demonstrate community service, leadership, and academic achievement.It is a pleasure to again extend our congratulations to Joe and Austin, the most recent recipients of the American Degree, as well as alumna Sarah Robinson. All three are exemplary representatives of the F F A--specifically the Otselic Valley Chapter--and are part of our community's agricultural history. All 2021 American F F A Degree recipients from New York are listed here. Learn more about the American F F A Degree here.