Deanne Sperling, conference coordinator in NDSU Student Life, is scheduled to be recognized Friday, Nov. 1, with the prestigious Honorary American FFA Degree. FFA, formerly known as Future Farmers of America, is set to make the presentation during its 86th annual national convention in Louisville, Ky.
“Each year the National FFA Organization recognizes outstanding individuals who have provided exceptional support of agricultural education and FFA,” Steve A. Brown, national adviser and board chair, wrote in a letter to Sperling, noting the organization has more than 557,000 members. “By going the extra mile, outstanding dedicated people like you deserve most of the credit for changing the lives of these young people. It is an honor to publicly recognize your outstanding support of our youth and agricultural education.”
Sperling said she was nominated for the honor by the North Dakota FFA Foundation because of the many years she has worked with the state convention on campus.
"Since I started working with the FFA in 1985, the organization has grown significantly,” Sperling said. “In 2013, more than 1,300 students from across North Dakota participated in the North Dakota FFA Convention in Fargo. The organization and vocational and technical education programs are very important to many communities throughout the state. The annual convention wouldn’t be possible without the strong support of the College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources and College of Human Development and Education and many NDSU faculty and staff who play a role in this significant event. I am honored to represent NDSU because truly it takes many people to make the convention work year after year.”
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.