Crockett FFA earns national three-star chapter recognition
By Kelly Nicol
Messenger Publisher
CROCKETT — The Crockett FFA chapter has earned the highest rating awarded through the National FFA organization’s National Chapter Award Program, securing recognition as a three-star chapter for 2026.
Crockett was among 25 Texas chapters selected to advance to national competition after applications were evaluated at the state level. National judges then assigned qualifying chapters a one-, two- or three-star rating.
The National Chapter Award Program recognizes FFA chapters that carry out the organization’s mission through activities focused on growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture. Fewer than 10% of the nation’s FFA chapters receive a star rating, according to the National FFA Organization.
Chapter President Emelie Arvizu said the recognition reflects the combined work of Crockett FFA’s officers, members and agricultural science teachers.
“The officers come together during the summer and create a Program of Activities, where we come up with events for the members,” Arvizu said. “Truthfully, the members are the ones who come in and help us make these events possible. Our ag teachers also help us a lot with those ideas.”
Known as the POA, the Program of Activities serves as the chapter’s roadmap for the year. Students identify priorities, organize committees and plan activities designed to serve the school and surrounding community.
Crockett FFA adviser Chris Wilder said the application is based on the chapter’s execution of that student-led plan.
“The students create and orchestrate the activities, set up committees and work on those committees,” Wilder said. “It could be things such as AgVentures, where we go and teach agriculture at the elementary schools, or service projects they conduct. It is all student-led and based on the activities the officers set as their priorities for the year.”
At the end of the year, the chapter documents its work in an extensive application submitted for state judging. Chapters receiving a gold rating at the state level are eligible to advance for national evaluation.
The Crockett chapter’s activities included raising money for scholarships, promoting agricultural education throughout the district and conducting community service projects.
Vice President Anna Lynch served on the Growing Scholars Committee, which developed fundraising ideas to support scholarships. Arvizu worked with the chapter’s agricultural advocacy efforts, including producing posters for Crockett Early Childhood Center, Crockett Elementary School, Crockett Junior High School and Crockett High School.
The chapter also launched an early childhood AgVenture program to introduce younger students to agriculture and encourage future participation in 4-H and FFA. Although Crockett’s FFA program begins with eighth-grade Greenhand members, the chapter looks for ways to teach younger children about agriculture.
“We still try to find ways to get the younger kids informed about agriculture, how much fun it is to be in FFA and how it can benefit them later in life,” Arvizu said.
The chapter plans to expand those outreach efforts this year by taking younger students on farm tours, where they can learn directly from agricultural producers and other members of the community.
Student adviser William Rodriguez participated in the chapter’s citizenship committee. For Valentine’s Day, members made cards and visited a local nursing home, where they distributed the cards and played bingo with residents.
“They had lots of fun with us, and by the end, they didn’t want us to go,” Rodriguez said.
Crockett FFA members are already developing new projects in hopes of earning national recognition again next year. One planned project will turn recycled paper and flower seeds into seed balls that can be distributed to teachers for planting in gardens or lawns.
The chapter’s officers said they also intend to develop new committees and activities that involve more students and community members.
“We plan to do a lot more this year,” Arvizu said. “Hopefully, we get to go to the national convention again next year to receive the same award, if not be the first one in the area.”
Crockett FFA will be honored during the 99th National FFA Convention & Expo, scheduled for Oct. 21-24 in Indianapolis. Arvizu and Lynch are expected to represent the chapter on stage and accept the award.
The National FFA Organization has more than 1.05 million student members in 9,591 local chapters across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Its mission is to develop students’ potential for leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.
The national chapter honors are sponsored by Bayer, Cargill Protein, John Deere, New Holland, Rabobank and Syngenta.
Arvizu emphasized that the three-star designation belongs to the entire Crockett FFA chapter.
“The chapter officers come up with the ideas, but the members are what make it possible,” she said.
