A Jacket, a Journey, a Future in FFA
For 18 students at Blue Valley High School in Randolph, Kan., an official FFA jacket marks the beginning of something bigger than membership in the National FFA Organization. It represents a journey of leadership, agricultural education and service, made possible in part by a community willing to invest in their future.
Blue Valley FFA held its 2026 Blue Jacket Ceremony to welcome 18 new members into the organization on Oct. 12, 2026. Through the support of local families, agriculture businesses and individual sponsors, each student received an official FFA jacket. The ceremony continued a chapter tradition that gives new members a shared beginning as they start their FFA journeys.
Allison Wickstrum, agricultural education instructor and Blue Valley FFA advisor, said, “The Blue Jacket Ceremony is one of the most memorable and meaningful moments for our Greenhand members and our community. It is a tradition that everyone looks forward to each year, and one of my favorite parts is watching community members personally present each Greenhand with their very own blue jacket.”
The corduroy blue jacket is one of the most recognizable symbols of the National FFA Organization. Across the country, FFA members wear it while developing leadership skills, exploring agriculture careers and serving their communities. At Blue Valley, the jacket also represents a commitment to welcoming new members and helping them become part of something larger than themselves.
Making the tradition possible required support from the Kansas community. Without many different local businesses and individual sponsors, this tradition would not be possible for its upcoming members.
Their support connects the community’s investment in agriculture with the students who will help shape its future. By helping provide official jackets, sponsors give students a symbol of belonging as they begin exploring the opportunities available through FFA. Their contributions demonstrate how local communities can support agricultural education and help develop the next generation of leaders.
“But what makes this tradition so special goes far beyond the jackets themselves. Our community doesn’t just invest in our members by purchasing their blue jackets,” Wickstrum said. “They continue to invest in them throughout their FFA journey by checking in, showing up to events, offering encouragement, and providing mentorship along the way. It is a true reflection of what makes our community so special. It takes more than a village to build strong leaders, and we are incredibly fortunate to have a community that believes in our members and continues to show up for them.”
For the new members, receiving a jacket is the first step in a journey filled with opportunities to discover interests, build confidence and develop skills. Through FFA, students can explore agriculture careers, participate in career and leadership development events, complete supervised agricultural experiences and serve their communities. From animal science and horticulture to agricultural mechanics and communications, members can turn their interests into experiences that help shape their futures.
The ceremony highlights the partnership between agricultural education and the communities that support it. In Kansas, where agriculture plays an important role in communities across the state, opportunities for students to explore agriculture careers and develop leadership skills help prepare them to contribute to their communities and the industry. FFA connects classroom learning with hands-on experiences, allowing members to discover their interests while learning how to lead and serve.
As Blue Valley FFA continues its theme, “Building a Legacy Beyond the Blue Jacket,” the 18 new members begin writing their own chapters in the organization’s story. Their jackets connect them to a national tradition while reflecting the support of their Kansas community. The experiences, relationships and contributions they build while wearing them will make their journeys unique.
A jacket is where the journey begins. The lessons learned, leaders developed and futures shaped along the way are what make the tradition last.
