Unified Events Give New Opportunities
Matt Kuntz has been involved with the Batesville FFA Chapter in Indiana for six years, but he only participated in his first competition last year. In February, Kuntz, who has Down syndrome, took first place in his second competition, the Unified Animal, Dairy and Meats Career Development Event (CDE).
Indiana introduced the Unified Horticulture event in April 2024 (where Kuntz placed fourth), and then held the first Unified Animal, Dairy and Meats CDE this year. Amanda Mullins, assistant director of career and leadership development for the Indiana FFA Association, was instrumental in developing these Unified events, designed for FFA members with intellectual disabilities on non-diploma tracks.
For the animal, dairy and meats competition, Kuntz had to identify different breeds of 10 different species. His family raises cattle, and he showed goats and pigs in 4-H, but he had to learn about other animals, such as horses, sheep and poultry. Cassie Wallpe, Kuntz’s FFA advisor, and Jason Honnert, a fellow Batesville FFA member, helped Kuntz study for the event, and Honnert helped him read questions and write down answers during the competition.
Confidence for the Future
Kuntz is the first Batesville FFA member to participate in the Unified contests, and it’s been a learning process for everyone involved. “I was a little nervous about how much pressure to put on Matt, but he has a competitive spirit and wants to win,” Wallpe says. “Matt told us the day of the competition, ‘If I get first or second place, that will be okay, because I will know I did my best.’”
Through the Unified contests, Kuntz has learned skills he can use after high school, such as identifying plants and animals, ranking fruits and vegetables based on food quality and even compiling a short grocery list. “After May, Matt will go into the work-force or work on the farm at home, and I think the skills he learned through these two events will help him,” Wallpe says. “I’ve watched him grow.”
Kuntz’s mother, Geraldine, sees another benefit as well — one that’s not as easily measured but just as important. “Matt enjoyed participating in activities and community service, but the Unified contests really made him feel like an equal to his peers,” she says. “He was so proud to be on stage in his Official Dress at the state convention last summer and receive a plaque for his achievement.”
Moments like these will help the Unified events continue to grow, Mullins believes. “Word has spread about the benefits of these events and the joy it brings to not only the students participating but their helpers, parents, advisors and, honestly, state staff and officers,” she says.
