A Greene County High School graduate recently achieved a milestone with an award through an agricultural organization.

Tieryn Tucker earned the American Degree with Greene County FFA. The 2020 high school graduate explains that the main component to receive FFA’s highest honor was by doing a supervised agricultural experience (SAE), which is where you take classroom knowledge and apply it to real world learning to prepare for the job market.

“My SAE was contacted mowing of hog sites and working at Fareway. So I had to keep records of what I did when I was working, how much I made, and then I showed the records on my application, and then you also have to do 50 hours of community service. So I did a lot of volunteering in the community and at Iowa Central (Community College).”

Tucker earned the Iowa Degree last year and she talks about the life skills she learned through the process of getting the American Degree.

“Well actually several things for me. I learned how to communicate with people, how to handle money and just how to public speak. And also, I’m going to be an ag teacher so this is awesome for me because now I know how to apply for my students when they want to apply for the American Degree. I know how to walk them through the process and help them get the application filled out.”  

Tucker is currently attending Iowa State University for agriculture education. According to Greene County FFA, less than one percent of FFA’ers receive the American Degree.