Nacogdoches High School’s Hadyn Vardeman and Courtney Claude turned their extensive work with Future Farmers of America into honors and awards last year with Texas FFA. Now Vardeman, a senior, and Claude, a junior, are preparing for a new year of showing their animals around the region and the state.
Vardeman, along with recent NHS graduate Ethan Wiggins, received FFA Lone Star Degrees earlier this summer. Claude was Gold Rated by Texas FFA in Small Animal Care and Production Proficiency and she was a Top 12 State Finalist Star Chapter Production.
On her project, Vardeman worked within the confines of an FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience, or SAE. The process requires accurate and extensive record-keeping, detailing expenses invested in an animal and the proceeds received from winning contest shows. Those long hours devoted by students to their projects are crucial to earning state awards like the Lone Star Degree earned by Vardeman and Wiggins.
Vardeman showed animals in Arkansas before moving back to Nacogdoches in December. She has also shown pigs since her eighth grade year and has shown her calf at several jackpot shows around East Texas.
Claude’s experience with FFA began while she was still in elementary school. She started showing goats in third grade with Junior FFA and added rabbits in 2020. Raising and selling the rabbits – New Zealand and Cinnamon breeds – to area students for use in their own animal projects earned Claude the Small Animal Care and Production Proficiency awards. She had to carefully track all expenses and revenue associated with the project, including keeping records related to their proper care, environmental impact.
Claude also shows a breed heifer. At the Fort Worth Livestock Show, Claude caught a calf during a scramble, earning money to purchase the breeding heifer named Rue. When she returned to Fort Worth in January, Claude finished fifth in her class. A couple of months later, at the prestigious Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Claude finished first in class with Rue.
Vardeman and Claude will both be showing animals at the Pineywoods Fair in October.
“These students have invested significant time and money in their projects, demonstrated leadership skills and shown a commitment to FFA at the chapter level and above,” said Rachel Taylor, an ag teacher at Nacogdoches High School. “We’re so proud of these students – Hadyn, Courtney and Ethan – because it takes a lot of work and commitment to achieve this kind of success.”
Both Claude and Vardeman praise the benefits of FFA, specifically the leadership components that help students with such things as presentations and public speaking. “You don’t have a chance to be worried about presenting or visiting with others,” Claude said.
And the relationships created extend beyond the walls of Nacogdoches High School.
“The people you get to meet,” Vardeman said. “I’ve made so many friends through FFA at competitions and conventions.”
For Claude, her older brother’s experience with FFA kindled her interest. “I saw the bond my older brother had with friends, and it really got me looking forward to participating. And it exceeded my expectations.”
Involvement in FFA and ag classes at Nacogdoches ISD doesn’t require previous knowledge in farming or cattle raising. “You don’t have to come from any kind of agricultural background,” said Claude.
“It’s a misconception you have to have an ag background to participate in FFA,” Vardeman said. “It’s so much more than ‘cows and plows.’”