Skills Beyond the Blue Jacket
Kameron Smoak (far right) prepares to compete in the agricultural mechanics career development event.
One of the main reasons members join FFA is the many skills they can gain from their involvement. From various career and leadership development events (CDEs and LDEs), to a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) and agriculture class, there are thousands of opportunities at one’s fingertips.
In Georgia, Kameron Smoak is one of Screven County High School’s most well-rounded individuals. At the 2025 Screven County High FFA Chapter Banquet, he was given the “Jack of All Trades” award for his ability to think on his feet and use his plethora of skills to help others in and out of the blue jacket.
Smoak works on his Supervised Agricultural Experience in fruit and nut production.
Smoak graduated in 2025, and has used what he learned as an FFA member as he pursues his career path. He is currently enrolled at the Universal Technical Institute of Florida, with hopes of becoming a marine mechanic. He plans to start his own boat mechanic business once he completes college.
Smoak credits much of his success to his time in FFA. He was enrolled in two pathways at Screven County High. He says being enrolled in the plant science pathway taught him his love for working outside, which pushed him to pursue a career where he could work in the great outdoors. Furthermore, Smoak says the skills he learned in the agricultural mechanics pathway taught him how to work with his hands, be resourceful when fixing things and tweak how mechanisms work.
Smoak earns his State FFA Degree.
Smoak has not come this far just because of his agriculture classes, though. He also spent many years in the blue jacket learning through CDEs and SAE experiences. Smoak participated in horse judging, agricultural mechanics and environmental natural resources. He has also won many awards for his accomplishments in his SAE focused in fruit and nut production. His advisors, Cali Smith and Zach Weaver, pushed him to study hard for his CDEs and put his best foot forward during competitions.
“FFA helped me by showing that hard work and a good work ethic can get you a lot of things in life,” Smoak says. “It showed me that if I want something in life, I have to work for it. I can achieve anything I want, as long as I do the work needed to get it.”
