Missouri FFA News Releases

COLUMBIA , Mo., April 16, 2009 – Alex Benson, of the Pleasant Hope FFA Chapter, Pleasant Hope, Mo., won the Floriculture Entrepreneurship and Placement Proficiency Award at the 81^stMissouri FFA Convention.

Benson is a senior at Pleasant Hope High School . Her parents are Jerry and Leona Benson. Her FFA advisors are Jeff Voris and Mary Anne Keck.

Benson’s FFA activities include attending National FFA convention, Washington Leadership Conference, working in the State FFA convention Press Corps and exhibiting the 2008 Missouri State Fair Grand Champion Boutonnière

Other School activities include being a member of Students Against Drunk Driving, Future Business Leaders of America, student council and the softball and basketball teams.

Benson’s Supervised Agricultural Experience Program (SAE) started when she began helping her mom in their garden planting flowers and making floral arrangements. She designed a centerpiece, a corsage and a bud vase which she exhibited them in the Ozark Empire Fair. She became more confident in designing and creating floral arrangements. Her adviser asked her to do some arrangements for her sister’s wedding. Now she has her own floral business designing arrangements for her community.

Proficiency awards recognize FFA members who excel as agricultural entrepreneurs, employees or volunteers while gaining hands-on career experience. Floriculture is one of 47 proficiency awards presented at state level and was sponsored by the Missouri State Florist Association.

After graduation, Benson plans to attend the University of Arkansas studying international agriculture.

The Missouri FFA has 24,410 members representing 317 chapters. The national organization has more than 507,000 members representing 7,439 local chapters in 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands .

The FFA Mission 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.