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One year after graduating from Cumberland High, Sarah Jackson received her American degree in Indianapolis, Indiana. The three-year chapter president for Cumberland FFA and multi-sport athlete enters rare company with this award, as less than 1% of FFA members nationwide earns the title. This is the highest award anyone in an FFA chapter can receive in their lifetime. 

“Sarah’s FFA journey started almost by chance,” said Cumberland FFA Coach Josh Fleenor. “I remember the day I met her on her way to track practice, wearing her boots, belt buckle—the whole farm-girl look. I asked why she wasn’t in an ag class and if she’d thought about joining FFA. Her reply, in what I would soon learn was pure “Sarah Jackson style,” hinted at curiosity but no commitment yet. The following year, though, she signed up for an ag class and joined FFA. And while I’d love to take credit, it’s really my blue heeler, Jasper, who deserves it; to this day, Sarah says if Jasper hadn’t stopped her that day, she might have taken a different path.”

During Fleenor’s early days as a teacher, working to rebuild the Cumberland FFA chapter, he said he leaned on Sarah and a small, dedicated group of students to help bring that vision to life. 

“I often say our chapter stands on four corners—one with me, one with Celeste Mitchell, one with the 2020 group of 8th graders, and the last with Sarah Elizabeth Jackson,” Fleenor said. “Sarah embraced FFA wholeheartedly, serving as chapter president for three years and leading initiatives that laid a foundation for future members.”

Some accomplishments with Cumberland FFA

Jackson’s list of accomplishments is extensive with Cumberland FFA. She was a member of the livestock judging, forestry judging, and Vet Science teams, served as chair of several committees, and raised and showed livestock, including the grand champion dairy steer at the Piedmont Area Junior Livestock Show. She competed locally, regionally, and at the state level in tractor driving. She was awarded the Greenhand Degree, Chapter Degree, State Degree, and now the American Degree. She was also named one of only 12 Outstanding Young Agriculturists in Virginia by the Virginia Young Farmers Farm Bureau.

To earn an American degree, you first have to complete at least 540 hours of instruction in an agriculture education program. You also have to complete at least 50 hours of community service with at least three different groups, have a record of outstanding leadership in and outside of the classroom, earn at least a “C” average or better in classes. 

Moving on at Tech 

After graduating from Cumberland, Sarah went on to Virginia Tech, where she’s now in her second year, majoring in Animal Science with a minor in German. Out of more than one million FFA members nationwide, as mentioned before, fewer than 1% achieve the American Degree. Sarah’s accomplishments, however, are not just about titles and awards; they’re about the hard work, dedication, and character she embodies as a leader, advocate, and champion for her family and herself.

“Sarah Elizabeth Jackson, Cumberland County is proud of you. Your chapter is proud of you. And I, Mr. Fleenor, am incredibly proud of you and grateful to have been a part of your journey,” Fleenor said. “Congratulations on this achievement—I can’t wait to see the incredible things you’ll continue to accomplish. But most importantly Keep being a champion!”