Three generations hold American FFA degree in Indianapolis
News | Published on November 6, 2026 at 4:34pm EST | Author: Kendall Koenen
0By Robert Williams
Editor
The Honorary American Degree recipients for 2026 were announced at the 99th National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana, in late October, which included a Frazee and Rothsay family connection.
Those receiving Honorary American Degrees were Roger Schaefer (Frazee), Jacqueline Bailey (Inver Grove Heights), Jennifer Boersma (Tyler), Stephen Funk (Menahga), Abbie Savage (Ulen), and Mike Schutz (St. Paul).
The Honorary American FFA Degree is the highest honor bestowed by the National FFA Organization to recognize adults who have rendered outstanding service to agriculture, agricultural education, or FFA.
Roger Schaefer’s Honorary American FFA degree helped create a special family moment that was captured by the University of Minnesota-Crookston Agriculture & Natural Resources Department booth at the Expo.
The following day Roger’s grandson Ethan Olson (Rothsay, Class of 2024) received his American FFA degree.
Ethan’s mother and Roger’s daughter Rita Olson is also an American FFA degree recipient bringing three generations of degree recipients together at the national convention.
Both Rita and Roger are also University of Crookston alumni. Rita is the agricultural education teacher and FFA advisor at Rothsay Public School.
The National FFA honors members through various levels of degrees, with the American level being the highest, demonstrating the effort FFA members apply toward their supervised agricultural experience and the outstanding leadership abilities and community involvement they exhibited through their FFA career. Less than one percent of FFA members earn the American degree.
The Minnesota FFA Association had 104 FFA members earning the highest degree at the 99th National FFA Convention and Expo.
With 1,053,847 members and chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the National FFA Organization is the largest student-led organization. The group’s mission statement in the United States is to “make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.”
2026 National
Chapter Awards Program
The National Chapter Award program recognizes FFA chapters that successfully completed an annual Program of Activities (POA), which includes a series of activities designed to encourage its members to grow as individuals, to work as part of a team and to serve others.
Minnesota FFA Chapters that earned the highest ranking of 3 Stars included: Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City, Chatfield, Glencoe-Silver Lake, Goodhue, Granada-Huntley-East Chain, Hendricks, Lake City, Rocori, Sibley East, Sleepy Eye, St. Paul – Highland Park, and Tracy. Minnesota’s 2 Star Chapters included: Eden Valley-Watkins, Forest Lake, Heron Lake-Okabena, Park Rapids, Perham, Plainview Elgin Millville, Princeton, Randolph, Rockford, Sauk Rapids-Rice, and Zumbrota Mazeppa.