Tulsa Students Make History at Oklahoma FFA State Convention

Two students from Tulsa Webster High School are the first in Tulsa Public Schools history to earn state FFA degrees, an honor given to just a few hundred of Oklahoma’s nearly 30,000 FFA members each year.

A Historic First for Tulsa Public Schools

Sarah Robinson and Kiara McIntosh-Asbury were the only two students from Tulsa Public Schools to receive their state degrees this year. Out of 369 participating schools, they were the first from the district ever to do so.

“Tulsa. Tulsa, Oklahoma,” Sarah said. “It’s going to be so nerve-wracking when we get on the BOK stage to accept our degrees.”

Overcoming Urban Challenges in Agriculture

Unlike students from rural communities who have access to traditional livestock programs, Sarah and Kiara had to adapt their agricultural experience to the constraints of city life.

“You can’t have cattle or sheep, goats or pigs or anything,” Sarah said. “So our showing was very limited to chickens.”

Instead, the two focused on land judging, entomology, floriculture, and other classroom-based agricultural projects.

“We put in a minimum of $2,000 and a minimum of 2,000 hours into our chapter,” Sarah added.

Building a Future in Agriculture Education

Both students say their FFA experiences have shaped their futures. Sarah is deciding between Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and Connors State College, while Kiara plans to start at NEO and transfer to Oklahoma State University to study agricultural education.

“I hope, seeing that we’re in a more urban area, it'll be encouraging to see, ‘Hey, we did it—so you can do it too,’” Sarah said.

Kiara added, "Just knowing that we were able to accomplish a lot of these goals that we thought were not possible. It's just great to know.

99th Annual Convention Celebrates Youth in Agriculture

This year’s state FFA convention marked the organization’s 99th year and brought together students from 396 schools across Oklahoma to participate in leadership workshops, competitions, and recognition ceremonies.

State FFA Advisor Scott Nemecek says the convention is both a celebration and a showcase of what agricultural education can offer.

“FFA is the student organization for agricultural education,” Nemecek said.

It’s part of the CareerTech system, and it gives students the opportunity to learn not only about production agriculture, but also the industries that support it, preparing them for careers or even running their own businesses.

A Growing Impact in Tulsa

This is the fourth year the state convention has been held in Tulsa, attracting an estimated 14,000 to 15,000 FFA members, guests, and parents over the course of the event. More than $400,000 in scholarships and cash awards were distributed this year.

Next year will mark FFA Oklahoma’s 100th anniversary. Organizers say the event will remain in Tulsa to celebrate the milestone.

About Oklahoma FFA

The Oklahoma FFA Association is the sixth-largest FFA chapter in the nation with over 29,500 members across 369 chapters. Students must be enrolled in an agricultural education class to participate in FFA. The program aims to foster leadership, personal growth, and career success in agriculture-related fields.

Learn more at okffa.org.