Lovell FFA chapter celebrates year, installs new officers

The Lovell High School FFA chapter presented awards, installed new officers and celebrated a successful school year during a year-end awards night Thursday at the high school multi-purpose room.

The meeting was run by the current chapter officers: president Addisyn Perkins, junior; vice president Kelce Winterholler, sophomore; secretary Kate Cooper, junior; treasurer Chance Hatch, junior; reporter Payton Tillett, senior; and sentinel Christy Aagard, sophomore.

That group later transitioned into the new group of officers for the 2026-27 school year: president Cooper, senior next year; vice president Perkins, senior next year; secretary Sara Wood, junior next year; treasurer Winterholler, junior next year; reporter Daisy Carpenter, sophomore next year; and sentinel Hatch, senior next year.

After officers opened the meeting and ice cream was served, the awards portion of the evening began. First up was the Chapter FFA Degree, stated to be the highest degree an FFA chapter can bestow, awarded to three students, with requirements including achieving the Star Greenhand Degree, completing at least 180 hours of agriculture education above the ninth-grade level and having in operation an approved agriculture experience program, among others.

Honored were Perkins, Cooper and Hatch.

Next, students were honored for their supervised agriculture experience projects: equine production proficiency, RaeLee Workman; agricultural communications, Perkins; sheep production, Perkins; specialty animal production, Toree Herman; ag mechanic design and fabrication, Hatch; outdoor recreation, Tillett; diversified livestock, Perkins; agriculture placement, Tillett; dairy production, Charlee Twitchell; and agribusiness, Perkins.

Ten students were awarded the Star Greenhand Degree: Carpenter, Ethan Hendershot, Taevan Henton, Herman, Evan Rusch, John Stuart, Alaina Tiner, Twitchell, TaiLyn Walbeck and Dallas Workman.

Advisor Nick Edelman recounted the awards won at the Wyoming State FFA Convention and presented the Star Greenhand Award to Carpenter and the Star Farmer Award to Perkins. Tillett was awarded the State FFA Degree and the Dennis Love Memorial Award, given annually in memory of former ag teacher and FFA advisor, the late Dennis Love, who served and taught at LHS from 2000 to 2008 and had a lasting impact not only on the Lovell chapter but on every student, parent and colleague who knew him, according to award information.

The Dennis Love Award is presented annually by Jerilyn Love, Mr. Love’s widow, though she was unable to attend this year.

“Dennis was a man with a kind heart and a happy spirit,” Jerilyn said last year. “He had a genuine love for agriculture, teaching and, especially, welding, which he shared freely and enthusiastically with others. … One of his greatest joys was not only teaching his students but learning with them. Being an FFA advisor was not just a job for Dennis, it was his longtime dream.”

Always a highlight of the annual awards night is the recognition of those in the community who have assisted the FFA chapter over the years and helped advance agriculture education and/or rendered outstanding service. Presented this year as honorary chapter members were Kevin and Sheena Jiracek and Superintendent of Schools William Hiser.