"Recently, at the 96th National FFA Convention held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana,
East Knox FFA members Trenton Comer, Kalvin Gallwitz, Alexandria Magers, and Joci Totten
received the American FFA Degree. These four were among 4,423 American Degrees awarded
nationally with 457 of those being from Ohio. The degrees are sponsored by Case IH, Elanco,
and Syngenta as a special project of the National FFA Foundation. Each recipient of the
American FFA Degree received a gold American FFA Degree key, certificate and matted frame
after being recognized on stage.
Requirements for the degree include earning at least $10,000 from SAE (Supervised Agricultural
Experience) projects, productively investing at least $7,500, serving as an FFA officer or
committee member, participating in FFA career development events, participating in FFA
leadership activities, completing school and community activities, and having a satisfactory
grade point average and school attendance. The American Degree is the fourth and final degree
that can be attained in the FFA and normally goes to less than 1/2 percent of the national
membership annually.
Trenton Comer’s SAE projects include working as a maintenance tech at the feed mill at Trillium
Egg Farm in Croton, job placement at Mow and Go, as well as placement at Ohio Truck where
he was a welder/fabricator. Trenton also started a small welding business Comer’s Custom
Fabrication. He also completed various home improvement projects. He served as the 2021-
2022 chapter Student Advisor and was the 2020-2021 chapter Parliamentarian. Trenton has
competed in forestry, Greenland quiz, parliamentary procedure, poultry, and agricultural
technology and mechanics career development events. He attended state and national FFA
conventions, state leadership nights, and district officer training. Trenton is the son of Shane
Comer and Tara Mertler of Millwood.
Alexandria Magers’ SAE projects include job placement at the Magers’ Family Farm along with
raising and showing market hogs and market beef steers at the Knox County Fair and
completing various home improvement projects. She served as the 2020-2021 East Knox FFA
Treasurer where she received a State Gold Rating and the 2021-2022 chapter President.
Alexandria has competed in various Career Development Events including Forestry, Urban Soils,
Novice and Advanced Parliamentary Procedure, Wildlife Management, Nursery/Landscape,
Milk Quality and Products, Envirothon, Environmental Natural Resources, Food Science, Farm
Business Management, Creed Speaking, and Agronomy. She has competed on the National-
level representing Ohio in Milk Quality and Products CDE in Indianapolis and the National Land
Judging Contest in Oklahoma. Alexandria has attended the State and National FFA
Conventions, Ohio Leadership Conference, and District 7 Officer Training. She has assisted the
chapter with the Thanksgiving food drive and has assisted with various volunteering and
community service activities. Alexandria is the daughter of Dan and Anna-marie Magers of
Howard.
Joci Totten’s SAE projects include working at Kroger in the dairy department where she
conditioned dairy products, checked product quality and dates, and stocked products. She also
worked at Chad Rine’s Chicken Farm and raised and showed market hogs at the Knox County
Fair. She served as the 2019-2020 East Knox FFA Treasurer where she received a State Gold
Rating and the 2020-2021 chapter Secretary where she also earned a State Gold Rating. Joci has
competed on many career development event teams including the 2019-2020 Agricultural Soils
team that placed first in the State and qualified to represent Ohio in the National Contest in
Oklahoma. Joci has also competed in the career development events of Poultry, Novice and
Advanced Parliamentary Procedure, Beginning Prepared Public Speaking, and Job Interview.
She has attended the State and National FFA Conventions and District 7 Officer Training. She
has completed many hours of community service/volunteering and has assisted with numerous
chapter activities. Joci is the daughter of Joe and Lori Totten of Walhonding.
Kalvin Gallwitz’s SAE projects include working as a general laborer at Central Ohio Farmers
Coop, job placement at Gallwitz Farms, Sundown Acres, Beatty Farms, Kidwell Farm, and
Morningstar Labradors and raising and showing beef steers and feeders at the Knox County Fair,
as well as completing various home improvement projects. He served as the 2018-2019 Chapter
Treasurer where he received a State Gold Rating. Gallwitz has competed on seven top ten career
development event teams including the 2017 Milk Quality and Products team that placed 18th in
the nation, the 2018 Nursery Landscape team that placed 20th in the nation, the 2018 Forestry
team that placed 3rd at U.S. Eastern Regional event in Massachusetts, and the 2019 Agricultural
Soils team that competed in Oklahoma in. Kalvin has also competed in the career development
events of poultry, greenhand quiz, animal management, agronomy, farm business management,
floriculture, parliamentary procedure, food science, and agricultural mechanical and technical
systems. He has attended the State and National FFA Conventions, State 212/360 Conference,
and District Officer Training. Kalvin is the son of Kevin and Crystal Gallwitz of Bladensburg.
Comer, Gallwitz, Magers, and Totten are the 50th through 53rd American FFA Degree recipients
from East Knox with the first being in 1991."
Article Courtesy of Tom Holton
