Severin Heimbigner, a member of the Big Sandy FFA, has won an SAE Grant from the National FFA. He won one of the 176 SAE grants given nation-wide. Severin received $1,000 to support his lawn mowing business. Severin started applying in September 2019 but he didn't get it done until mid-Nov. Severin plans to buy some equipment and repair some of his old equipment with his dad's help.
I asked him if he was surprised he won and his smile told me everything.
We were doing the interview outside at the same time as the teacher's parade. Trying to hear what he was saying over the horn honking was fun. Severin can be reached at his house phone 378-2191, his cell phone 344-2345, or you can e-mail him at severin@ittriangle.com. He started his business of doing people's lawns in May 2019 and is excited to start this year.
According to the FFA website, the FFA began to work on "quality experiential, work-based project" in 2011, the National Council for Agricultural Education. "This was a need brought on by what appeared to be a lower number of students being exposed to the SAE component of agricultural education through the local classroom."
In 2015 the FFA set "forth philosophies and guiding principles to provide a path to 100% SAE engagement with students in the modern classroom. The following are some highlights of the work that was adopted":
"There should be an expansive set of SAE types for students to choose from such as Foundational SAE with Career exploration & planning, Personal financial planning and management, Workplace Safety, Employability skills for college and career readiness, and Agricultural Literacy. Immersion SAE includes Entrepreneurship/Ownership, Placement/Internships, Research (Experimental, Analytical, Invention), School Business Enterprises, and Service Learning."
