Jennifer Cunningham, 2009 graduate of Wylie High School and two-year president of the school’s FFA chapter, has been honored with a national award. At the 82nd National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. Oct. 21-24, she was the winner of the Home and/or Community Development – Entrepreneurship, Placement Proficiency Award. 
 

She received the honor for the Feed Wylie program she pioneered last year; originated as part of an FFA service project, Ag students donated 1,100 pounds of processed meat to the Wylie Christian Care Center. Cunningham and her fellow FFA members took donated feeder hogs, processed them to slaughter weight, and donated the meat to the center, according to a news release from the National FFA Organization.

Cunningham said her Ag teachers, Kristi Thompson, Amber Norris and Jess Wheeler, encouraged her to apply for an award in this category. “I entered at the chapter level and advanced on, taking first place at the district, area and state levels,” she said. “One application from each state advanced to the national level. It is then narrowed down to four finalists and then one national winner.”

Once the National FFA Organization had announced the four finalists, Cunningham was told that her presence was required at the convention in Indianapolis to be interviewed to determine the winner. “I didn’t find out that I had won until I was on stage and they called out my name.”

Cunningham said she was in “complete shock.” 

“At first it didn’t even hit me that they called my name – it took a minute to sink in,” she said. “And then I was overcome with joy!”

She received a $1,000 scholarship from the Texas FFA Foundation when she won at the state level and another $1,000 at the National FFA Convention from Carhartt, Inc., corporate sponsors for the award. Carhartt manufactures work clothing. 

The Wylie FFA alum hasn’t stopped doing good work. A freshman at Iowa State University, she’s working on a triple major in agri-business, public service and administration in agriculture, and economics, with a minor in political science. She’s active in Collegiate FFA, the Ag Biz Club (for which she chairs the fundraising committee), ski and snowboarding club and the College Republicans Club. She was also one of 12 freshmen chosen out of 300 to participate in the Fresh Fotos Program in which she captures campus life in pictures that are published on the university Web site. She’s also working with the Ag Biz Club to start a Feed Ames, Iowa project.

“I am having a blast here!” she said. “All except the freezing cold!”

Regarding her motivation to start Feed Wylie and contribute to other projects such as a canned food drive, Christmas caroling at the nursing home and volunteering at special events, she said, “I believe that one of our most important jobs in life is to look out for our neighbors, family and friends. My parents have always told me to do the right thing, no matter what anyone else does, and it will always come back 10-fold. This project [Feed Wylie] is a no-brainer, and it was just the right thing to do.”

Cunningham said she had another influential mentor. “Also, [Christian Care Center Executive Director] Raymond Cooper was a huge help throughout this whole thing. He told me to keep trying no matter how many people said it couldn’t be done.”

Even though Cunningham is away at school, Wylie FFA is continuing Feed Wylie. The group has an arrangement with Baskin-Robbins at 158 W. FM 544 in Murphy; from now until Christmas, anyone bringing in a can of food gets a free scoop of ice cream. Two cans of tuna garners one free sundae, and the purchase of an ice cream cake will result in a $3 donation to Feed Wylie. Cunningham said the WHS Ag students have two hogs that are ready for processing and will be filling the freezers at the center before the end of the year.

Her parents are Troy and Jane Cunningham; WHS FFA advisors are Ken Nicholson and Teresa Dudley at Wylie East.

 

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