The students of Randolph Cambria-Friesland FFA in Wisconsin have a unique school tradition that goes far beyond the walls of their classrooms.
The chapter has regularly had members apply for and receive supervised agricultural experience grants over the years, a process that its advisors have come to call a “yearly tradition.” This year, 31 out of nearly 300 members in the chapter received grants — an impressive number that speaks to its members’ hard work and creativity, advisor Stephanie DeVries said.
“SAEs are an important part of our classroom and the FFA experience,” DeVries said. “We want our students to get the most out of their SAEs, but not all students can afford to do that financially.”
Both DeVries and her students tip their hats to Keith Gundlach—former advisor of the chapter who now serves as a consultant—for continually guiding students through the application process and encouraging them to think outside of the box when it comes to their SAEs.
“There’s no doubt he’s behind the success of all of this,” DeVries said. “He has helped push all of our students to be the best they can be and has shown them how they can achieve outstanding SAE projects.”
Gundlach says SAE Grants have been key for some students over the years — simply because otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to afford projects he knew they were capable of completing.
“These grants, and the application process itself, [are] the greatest teaching tool I’ve ever seen,” Gundlach said. “These grants have really opened doors for some students and have made them feel like someone believes in them.”
The projects students have started or expanded because of the grants have varied widely over the years: landscaping, livestock and raising pheasants are just a few of them. Gwen Hahn, a freshman who received an SAE Grant this year, is raising beef cattle with plans to start a herd of her own for her farm in the future.
“I wouldn’t have been able to get started without this financial aid,” Hahn said. “I wanted to do something that I enjoyed and would continue with me after high school but didn’t know how to get started because I was trying to cover costs on my own. Mr. Gundlach encouraged and showed me to not only apply but make the most out of my project with the funds.”
Both Gundlach and DeVries hope the tradition continues within Randolph Cambria-Friesland FFA.
“Sometimes students just need a small seed to be planted for them to get started and succeed,” Gundlach said. “These grants help plant that seed for them.”
To learn more about SAE Grants, visit FFA.org. The deadline to apply is Nov. 15.
