Jack Schuster, a 2023 graduate of Marshall high school, and a Marshall FFA member, was recently recognized at the 97th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Schuster was a national winner for his Agricultural Sales-Placement proficiency award. Agricultural Proficiency Awards honor FFA members who, through supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs), have developed specialized skills that they can apply toward their future careers.
Schuster placed first in Wisconsin for his Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), similar to a passion project or a youth apprenticeship program. His work was in agricultural sales at Hellenbrand’s Ace Hardware in Marshall.
After placing first in the state in June he advanced to national competition against the other first-place winners in each state. In August, he made the top four in the nation and became a national finalist. He and the other three finalists went through an additional interview process as part of the competition.
On Thursday, Oct. 23, Schuster went onstage in front of thousands of people at the 97th National FFA Convention in Lucas Oil Stadium to hear the final results announced. As a national winner he will receive a $1,000 scholarship. This is the first time a Marshall FFA member has won a National FFA Proficiency Award category. There were three winners from the state of Wisconsin in 45 categories.