Joseph FFA member Grayson Hawkins named National Finalist for 2026 National FFA Convention
By Garrett Christensen on Friday, September 4th, 2026 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
JOSEPH – Oregon State Fair is underway, and the 2026 National FFA Convention is less than two-months away. As FFA chapters across Eastern Oregon prepare for the big fall event, various awards, degrees, and project results are being announced. The Joseph FFA Chapter in particular recently received word that one of its members, Grayson Hawkins, was officially selected as a national finalist for the National FFA Agriculture Proficiency Award in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Management. As written in the announcement by the National FFA to Joseph Ag Sciences Teacher Chelcee Mansfield:
“We’re excited to share some outstanding news—students from your school have been named national finalists for the prestigious National FFA Agricultural Proficiency Award at the upcoming 99th National FFA Convention & Expo!
Congratulations on fostering such exceptional student achievement. This recognition places your students among the best in the nation and provides them with the opportunity to be celebrated on a national stage in front of more than 70,000 FFA members, advisors, educators, and industry leaders from across the country.”
This prestigious selection was thanks to Hawkins’ Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) project, itself split between two separate projects. The first of these projects involved an eight-week HAWK (High School Apprenticeship Work) internship with Wallowa Resources. As written by Hawkins in his SAE description:
“Through the eight-week HAWK (High School Apprenticeship Work) internship, I gained hands-on experience in rangeland management, forest monitoring, plant and wildlife identification, watershed health, weed management, aspen ecology, fire landscapes, and sustainable forest practices. We also studied the complex challenges of natural resource management in the rural West.”
The second SAE project was a Student Park Ranger position at Wallowa Lake State Park, wherein he worked alongside park staff to oversee and operate the park, including assisting visitors, cleaning facilities, landscaping, enforcing rules, and even providing basic first aid.
The 2026 National FFA convention is October 21-24 in Indianapolis Indiana. Congratulations to Grayson Hawkins and all other Eastern Oregon students planning to attend!
