Four Powell High School graduates have earned a coveted honor from the National FFA Organization.

Brooke Bessler, Wyatt Blackmore, Emma Brence and Shelby Carter received their American FFA Degrees last fall, the highest degree achievable in the National FFA Organization.

“The American FFA Degree is earned by less than 1% of FFA members, so having four members from our chapter receive it shows the dedication and work ethic within our program, it also reflects the strength of our chapter and the support we have,” Carter said. “Each of us took different paths and focused on different areas of FFA, but we all committed years of effort to get where we are today.”

The degrees were awarded during the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo, held Oct. 29-Nov. 1, 2025, in Indianapolis. Recipients received a certificate and the American FFA Degree key in honor of their accomplishments.

 “Every time you attend the National Convention, it reminds you just how big this organization really is,” Blackmore said. “It reminded me that no one person is bigger than the organization and that it takes every member to create the atmosphere, opportunities and family within FFA.

“I was ecstatic when I found out I had earned the degree …” he added. “One of the biggest takeaways from this experience is that hard work truly pays off.”

Considered the gold standard, the American FFA Degree shows a member’s dedication to their chapter and state FFA association. It demonstrates the effort members apply toward their supervised agricultural experience (SAE), and the leadership abilities and community involvement they exhibited through their FFA career. 

“I'm very proud of each of these four FFA members,” Powell-Shoshone Adviser Ben Curdy said. “I've worked closely with each of them and I know they each deserve this award and recognition. Brooke, Emma, Shelby and Wyatt are impressive young adults who will be successful in whatever endeavors they pursue in life.”

To be eligible to receive the top degree, members must meet multiple qualifications such as receiving a State FFA Degree, holding active membership for the past three years, completing secondary instruction in an agricultural education program and operating a supervised agricultural experience program. Community service, leadership abilities and scholastic achievement are also required. 

Curdy said the more than five years of detailed records and the fact that the degree can’t be earned until members have graduated from high school are two key reasons so few receive it.

“These guys graduated in May 2024 and finally reached this accomplishment in the fall of 2025,” he said. “Having that drive when you are off at college and your ag teacher and parents aren't always right there pushing you, that takes commitment.” 

Brooke Bessler

Bessler earned her Greenhand FFA Degree her freshman year. In her  sophomore year she was awarded the Star Chapter Farmer award, and as a junior she was chapter secretary and head of the works auction committee. Her senior year she served as chapter vice-president.

“I got my chapter degree my junior year, which is a year earlier than most get it,” she said. 

She said her journey to the American FFA Degree started early on in her high school career. For her SAE, she had 12 ewes and a ram which she bred. She raised lambs to show at the county fair and also to sell. 

Record keeping was crucial, as she added that “it was very difficult to try and go back to my freshman year and fill in activities that I had forgotten to log in my AET (Agricultural Experience Tracker, a personalized online FFA Record Book System for tracking experiences in high school agricultural education courses.)”

“I pretty much made up my mind in my first year in FFA that I wanted to get my American Degree, so I just worked as hard as I could and participated in just about every activity,” Bessler said. “When I found out that I had gotten my American Degree I was very excited. I told all of my family and friends and they were happy for me. Without their help and dedication to my projects I wouldn’t have been able to make it that far.” 

Bessler is currently a sophomore at Northwest College, studying wildlife and fisheries biology.

Wyatt Blackmore

During Blackmore’s FFA career he served as parliamentarian, treasurer and second vice-president. He also competed in parliamentary procedure and farm business management.

“After graduating high school, I served one year as the 2024-2025 Wyoming State Second Vice-President,”  he said. “During my year of service as State Second Vice-President, earning the American Degree was the final step in my FFA career. It was something I was proud to apply for, as it represents the hard work and dedication from previous years in the organization.”

During his time in FFA he had three SAE projects — breeding beef, market beef and a production agriculture job. Blackmore’s breeding project started long before he joined FFA, as he has run cows with his parents’ herd since elementary school. His market project was animals he took to the fair and sold at the Park County Junior Livestock Sale. Throughout high school, Blackmore also worked for a local farm, where he broadened his knowledge of production agriculture.

“What I enjoyed most [about FFA] was the culture,” he said. “I have never been part of another organization where you can show up in any town or any state and feel at home. During our state officer chapter visits, every chapter we visited was unique, but in every town, members looked out for one another, welcomed new members and shared a bond throughout their chapter that made us feel right at home.”

Blackmore is currently substitute teaching while finishing his associate’s degree through Casper College. After that, he plans to transfer to the University of Wyoming to pursue his education degree, most likely focusing on agricultural education.

Emma Brence

Brence was involved in FFA for all four years of high school. She competed in the agronomy career development event as well as wool judging. She also served two years on the chapter officer team — reporter as a junior and president her senior year. She also earned her State FFA Degree.

“It is so fun to look back on my years in FFA and how I stuck with something and followed it through,” she said. “It’s a rare achievement, so it feels really rewarding and it definitely stands out. It’s also a great way to stay connected to people in agriculture and something I’m genuinely proud to carry with me as I move forward.”

Brence’s path to the American FFA Degree started as a fun idea between her and her college roommate. Both were very involved during high school and wanted to keep progressing within the organization.

“We decided to start the application process together, and it turned into a really fun bonding experience for both of us,” she said. “As the process went on, it became much more than just a suggestion. It turned into a really proud and meaningful way to close a chapter on an organization that had such a huge impact on who I am today.”

She said the application process for the top degree taught her to reflect on her experiences and growth. She also learned about goal setting, record keeping and “perseverance and patience with the help of a not so user-friendly AET program.”

“It pushed me to really look at the time, effort and dedication I had invested over the years — not just in FFA, but in agriculture as a whole,” she said.

Brence is currently a college sophomore finishing her associate’s degree in agricultural business at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, where she also competes on the livestock judging team. She plans to transfer to a four-year university to continue her education in agricultural communications and public relations.

“FFA really pushed me outside of my comfort zone, and that’s probably one of the biggest ways it prepared me for my future,” she said. “It taught me how to walk into a room full of people I don’t know, start conversations and build friendships with all kinds of people. Through my  competitions and many leadership roles, I learned how to interact with others, work as part of a team, skills that don’t always come naturally but are so important in both college and the workplace. 

“More than anything, FFA taught me to be brave — to take opportunities, put myself out there, and go after what I want, even when it feels uncomfortable.”

Shelby Carter

Carter became an active member of the Powell-Shoshone FFA Chapter her freshman year of high school, and went on to earn all degrees including Greenhand, Chapter and State. During her sophomore year she served as the chapter historian and throughout all four years she competed in the Environmental and Natural Resources Career Development Event.

“My senior year I earned first place and was recognized as top senior at the Sheridan Border Wars competition,” she said.

As a sophomore, Carter had the opportunity to attend the National FFA Convention for the first time and grew a special appreciation for FFA.

“From that experience, I made it a goal to earn the American FFA Degree,” she said. “FFA played such a significant role in my high school career, and achieving the American degree represented a way to challenge myself, grow as a leader and gain a deep sense of accomplishment.”

She said Curdy was a great mentor throughout the degree process, answering all her questions and encouraging her to stay organized and motivated. 

“I also learned the importance of keeping up-to-date with the Agriculture Experience Tracker, as it took several days to enter all of my activities that I had postponed in order to qualify for the American FFA Degree,” she said. “I also realized how valuable it is to remain active in FFA throughout high school, not just for degree qualifications, but to contribute to the chapter.”

Emotions were mixed when she found out she’d achieved her goal.

“Receiving the American FFA Degree was a bittersweet moment, as it marked not only a major achievement, but also the conclusion of my FFA journey,” she said. “It was a meaningful way to close a chapter that had such a strong impact on my life.”

Carter graduated in December with an Associate of Applied Science in rangeland management from Northwest College. She is currently working and seeking summer opportunities that allow her to apply her knowledge and skills in the field. 

“I plan to continue my education in the fall to complete my bachelor’s degree in rangeland management,” she said.