WCHS graduate being considered for National FFA position

A recent Whitley County High School graduate is currently vying for one of the few available spots as a National FFA officer, marking the first time someone from Whitley County has been considered for a position at the national level.

Each year, every state’s FFA association can submit one individual to take part in an extensive interview process with the National FFA Officer Nominating Committee for the opportunity to be selected for one of six spots among the rank of national officers.

This year, Leslie Monhollen, who graduated from WCHS in 2022, has a chance to fill one of those spots. Monhollen is the first candidate from Whitley County and only the third from the FFA region to ever be considered as a potential national officer.

Monhollen spent her entire high school career as part the FFA chapter at WCHS, acting at one time as the chapter’s president before assuming a role as the regional FFA president. She most recently served as an officer for the Kentucky FFA as state sentinel.

According to ffa.org, the process for becoming a national officer is arduous.

“It takes a highly motivated person to become a successful National FFA officer—an opportunity afforded to few members,” the website states.

Monhollen is among 35 candidates being considered for one of the six national officer spots. The selection process begins this weekend as the leadup to the National FFA’s Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The WCHS FFA chapter held a celebratory lunch Tuesday morning in honor of Monhollen’s achievement, where school administrators and community members came together to see Monhollen off before she heads to Indianapolis. During the gathering, Monhollen spoke to the News Journal about her experience thus far in being named a finalist, which she called “a privilege and an honor.”

“It means a little more when you get to represent people that aren’t always represented,” said Monhollen. “One thing I’ve learned throughout this experience and this opportunity is that not everybody knows that their dreams are possible, so I think it’s really important, at this level, I get to display to others that it’s okay to dream big, it’s okay to go after things you want and people will help you get there. I think my situation and this opportunity is a product of that.”

Monhollen currently attends the University of Kentucky, where she is majoring in agricultural education. If she is selected to serve in one of the six spots, she will be taking a gap year from college to allow for her to fulfill her duties as a national officer.

National officers spend over 300 days of the year travelling and meeting with FFA chapters all over the country. That time is spent representing student membership during meetings with the National FFA Board of Directors, facilitating worships that bring leadership and knowledge to FFA member and deliver motivational speeches, according to ffa.org.

Brian Prewitt, vo-ag teacher at WCHS and advisor over the school’s FFA chapter, said that he believes Monhollen’s hard work may have opened the door for other candidates from Whitley County being considered in the future and noted he was pleased to see her efforts pay off.

“It just takes that first kid to pave that path, so to speak. And she was one of those kids, from the get-go as a freshman, one of the hardest working kids I’ve ever seen,” said Prewitt. “She put all she had into it…and she takes advantage of any opportunity she’s presented with.”

The field of 35 candidates will be halved sometime next Monday, with the remainder of the candidates going through a rigorous interview process until the six officers are announced at the final day of the convention on Nov. 4.