Junior Baylee Hoffmeister was honored as an Empire Degree recipient at the 101^st New York State FFA Convention this spring. A group of Warsaw FFA members, along with advisor Bernie Harwood, attended the convention on May 14-16 at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.

The Empire Degree is the highest degree an FFA member can earn at the state level. Agricultural education, community service, project work, and leadership skills are taken into consideration when awarding the Empire Degree. Applicants’ Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs) are the backbone of the rigorous process of earning the degree. To be considered, students must show dedication over several years, including earning at least $1,000 through their SAE, working at least 300 hours, completing at least two years of agriculture classes, and staying actively involved in FFA.
            Freshmen Evelyn Torres Diaz and Allison Escalante participated in the Spanish Creed Speaking event with Evelyn earning third place in New York State. Russell Broughton and Ben Flint competed in the Forestry event, and Ben earned 17^th place in the state. Evelyn, Allison, Amelia Vranich, and Stephen Vranich represented FFA in the NYS Quiz Bowl. Baylee, along with fellow FFA members Mallori Riggi and Gigi Grover, served as delegates for Warsaw and voted on important changes that will shape the future of NYS FFA. Baylee further represented Warsaw FFA by competing in the Agricultural Education Career Development event.