Kellie Einck wins the National FFA Stars Over America for Agri-Placement. She is one of four to be so honored. FFA also acknowledged a Stars Over America in Farming, Agri-business, and also Agri-Science.
(Paullina) — The 90th annual National FFA Convention begins Wednesday at Indianapolis, and it is expected to draw more than 60,000 youth from across the nation to the central Indiana city. A student who graduated from the South O’Brien Community School (Primghar) is one of four finalists for the National FFA Stars Over America in Agri-Placement. Kellie Einck is a female mechanic with the ICON Ag and Turf John Deere dealership in Paullina. She works on tractors, combines, and other farm equipment. Einck says she is often on the receiving end of strange looks when farmers bring their equipment to be repaired, and they notice a female working in the shop. Einck did not grow up on a farm, but has an interest in agriculture. Einck says FFA helped lead her to her career position as a farm equipment mechanic.
The National FFA Stars Over America is the highest honor within the FFA organization. It is recognized as the best of the best. Einck is a finalist in the Agri-Placement category. She won the state competition a couple of years back, and was selected as the National FFA proficiency winner in Agricultural Mechanics last year. Einck has been employed with the John Deere dealership for the last three years. She’s honored to be recognized as a finalist, and says the judging and interview session scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday may prove to be intense.
Einck says being considered for a National FFA Star Finalist requires a lot of record keeping.
The FFA finalist will know her fate Thursday evening during the general session, when the FFA Stars Over America are announced. (The National FFA Convention will be broadcast live on the satellite television RFD-TV channel).
