The American FFA Degree is considered “The Gold Standard,” and two Heartland alumni, Ben Janzen (2024) and Grace Regier (2023), were awarded FFA’s highest American FFA Degree.
The American FFA Degree is the highest achievable degree and shows an FFA member’s dedication to his or her chapter and state FFA association.
“The members who receive the American Degree have to be active throughout high school and into the next stage of their lives. Grace and Ben were very active in our FFA chapter and were chapter presidents. Both were selected as top three finalists in their proficiency area; Grace in Vet Science and Ben winning the forage production,” said Heartland FFA sponsor Stephanie Miller.
These prestigious awards were presented at the recent National FFA Convention in Indianapolis. Janzen, a sophomore at Bethel College majoring in business, traveled to Indianapolis to receive his American Degree in person. “I wasn’t 100% sure at first if I wanted to pursue the degree, but when I realized how close I was, I decided to go for it,” said Janzen.
Janzen is the son of Jay Dee and Wendy Janzen and plans on returning to farm with his family after he graduates from college.
Regier was “bummed I was unable to be there, but I had another convention the next week I would be traveling to so it just didn’t work.” She is a junior at UNL and is majoring in animal science. She credits Miller for letting her know she was still eligible to apply for the degree even though she had been out of school for a few years.
“I was telling Mrs. Miller how much I realized I’d grown as a student and individual while participating in FFA, and I appreciated the value of what I learned in FFA. When she told me I was still eligible for the degree, I decided I wanted to finish it out,” said Regier.
One of the criteria for the degree is having an SAE (supervised agricultural experience). Janzen started his own business growing and selling alfalfa. “I started an alfalfa business renting 23 acres that already had alfalfa on it and kept it going. I also did custom hay work for others. I got a lot of guidance from my dad and grandpa and was supervised by Mrs. Miller.”
Regier, who plans to apply to veterinarian school next year, has worked summers at the York Animal Clinic as an assistant and, most recently, completed an internship with the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, where she worked closely with veterinarians at the horse track. She is the daughter of Randy & Leslie Regier.
Another essential aspect for receiving the degree is demonstrating outstanding leadership ability and community involvement throughout their FFA career. In their applications, both Janzen and Regier documented all the hours they’ve logged in any kind of community service.
Janzen logged many volunteer hours the past few years when he participated in youth service trips to Kentucky and Minnesota at Bethesda Mennonite Church. Last spring he assisted with storm cleanup in the Omaha area from severe tornado damage and he is a regular volunteer at the MCC Meat Canner at Bethesda.
Regier has been involved as a volunteer during her time at UNL, including with the CASNR Career Service, where she serves as a peer career coach. She is also an ambassador for the College of Animal Science, helping with recruitment. She plans to graduate in December of 2026 and will begin applying to vet school in January.
This isn’t the first time any Heartland alumni have received the American Degree. In 2023, four Heartland alumni received their degrees: Lisa Buller, Alex Goertzen, Mason Hiebner, and Carson Ott.
These kinds of results are a testament to the excellent FFA program at Heartland Community School!
Congratulations to this year’s recipients, Ben Janzen and Grace Regier, who “show promise for the future and have gone above and beyond to achieve excellence,” as stated by the FFA about this highest degree.
