Each year at the National FFA Convention & Expo, four FFA members are honored with American Star Awards for outstanding accomplishments in FFA and agricultural education.
The American Star Awards, including American Star Farmer, American Star in Agribusiness, American Star in Agricultural Placement and American Star in Agriscience, are presented to FFA members who demonstrate outstanding agricultural skills and competencies through completion of Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE). A required activity in FFA, an SAE allows students to learn by doing, by owning or operating an agricultural business, working or serving an internship at an agriculture-based business, or conducting an agriculture-based scientific experiment and reporting results.
Other requirements to achieve the award include demonstrating top management skills; completing key agricultural education, scholastic and leadership requirements; and earning an American FFA Degree, the organization’s highest level of student accomplishment.
The American Star in Agriscience is awarded to the FFA member who demonstrates the top agriscience-based SAE in the nation. Here are the 2025 finalists for American Star in Agriscience:
FINALIST: Delana Erbsen, Illinois
Delana Erbsen’s passion for agriscience grew after she encountered a fistulated cow. She then conducted research on rumen digestion, silage preservation, herd health, and hemp cultivation, often partnering with universities and industry experts. She has managed complex projects involving experimental design, data collection, and analysis, culminating in internships that connected academic research with real-world farm management. These experiences have shaped her into a confident, precise scientist capable of applying research to improve agricultural practices.
“Just as others have invested in me, I want to be a source of knowledge and encouragement for young people discovering their own paths in agriculture,” said Erbsen. “Whether in the barn, the classroom, or the boardroom, I aim to carry forward the legacy of mentorship, hard work, and passion that has defined my life thus far.”
FINALIST: Joanna Hamilton, Ohio
Joanna Hamilton’s SAE started with raising turkeys and overcoming challenges with heat lamps, leading to early agriscience projects in power systems and sparking a passion for food science through the Food Science Career Development Event (CDE). She completed five research projects about power systems, food science, and social systems, applying the scientific method to address agricultural issues and consumer preferences. Over time, she progressed from relying on mentors to independently designing experiments and consulting industry experts. Now she mentors younger members in research SAEs, demonstrating significant growth in both skills and leadership.
“FFA has pushed me out of my comfort zone, given me challenges to solve, and led me to my passion,” said Hamilton. “I am forever thankful for the lessons and memories.”
FINALIST: Matthias David Hefty, Indiana
Since 7th grade, Matthias David Hefty has raised meat goats and focused on improving herd efficiency and health through research projects, including designing a hay feeder to reduce waste by 85%, modifying feeders to reduce parasite issues and labor, developing a cost-effective home parasite test, and creating a hoof trimming leg holder that cut labor costs. His role evolved to using the scientific method to design increasingly complex solutions, shifting parasite management from symptom treatment to targeted control. His biggest challenge was managing the physical labor involved in rotating pens for research, which he overcame by training family members to help him.
“Goats will be extremely hard to commercialize because they are highly susceptible to diseases and parasites,” said Hefty. “Through my four research projects, I believe I am taking huge steps toward helping farmers build more scalable and sustainable goat herd management.”
FINALIST: Madison Perkins, Texas
Madison Perkins’ SAE spans six years of researching water quality and aquatic habitats, including studies on pond biodiversity, algae control, effects of cattle and fertilizer on water, and plant preferences of white-tailed deer. Over time, her roles evolved from relying on advisors and basic data analysis to independently designing experiments, managing multiple pond sites, and conducting international research in Jamaica. Her greatest challenge was overcoming a fear of venomous snakes in aquatic environments, and while she is still scared of them, she has successfully learned to work safely and confidently in high-risk settings to advance her research.
“In the past 7 years, I have competed in 31 science fairs outside of my school,” said Perkins. “The confidence I have gained from completing long-term research projects and presenting to adults has helped me tackle new challenges in other FFA competitions.”
The American Star Awards are sponsored by Bayer, Cargill, Case IH, John Deere, Rabobank and Syngenta. For more information on the awards, visit FFA.org.
