Katy ISD FFA Students Bring Home National Championship

(KATY ISD) - It was a déjà vu moment for Katy High School FFA students, who once again earned the title of National FFA Champions after competing in the Poultry Evaluation Career Development Event during the National FFA Convention & Expo on Oct. 26-29. The team included students Reagan Barnett, Jaime Hahn, Amber Hall and Kailey Kulhanek, and was led by Advisor Jacob Price.

Katy High School FFA Poultry Group. Left to Right Front Row: Amber Hall (7th High Individual) and Reagan Barnett (2nd High Individual) Back Row: Kailey Kulhanek (3rd High Individual), Jacob Price (FFA Advisor) and Jaime Hahn (1st High Individual)

During the National Convention held in Indianapolis, Indiana, the FFA students represented Katy ISD as well as the State of Texas and competed against more than 50 FFA groups from across the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

This is the fourth consecutive year a Katy ISD FFA team has taken this top spot, with Katy High School FFA earning three of the national titles and Taylor High School FFA earning one.

“The skills FFA students acquire through their course work and projects have helped them during these rigorous competitions,” said David Laird, FFA Events Coordinator. “During the poultry evaluation event, students select live meat-type chickens for broiler breeding, they evaluate and place live egg-type hens and they rate the finished product by grading ready-to-cook carcasses and parts of chickens and turkeys.”

Taylor High School Senior Madailein Fitch.

Additionally, Taylor High School senior Madailein Fitch placed third overall in the nation in the Food Products & Processing Systems event, an individual competition that takes place during the National FFA Agriscience Fair. Fitch was the only student to advance from the State of Texas for this individual category.