FFA names Blue Jacket Bonanza awardees

The Delaware Farm Bureau recently announced the winners of its annual Blue Jacket Bonanza. 

The program benefits students enrolled in the FFA program in Delaware who might be financially unable to purchase their own traditional blue jacket.

Awards are given based on need, community service activities, leadership skills and commitment to the FFA program. Essays and reference letters are required of each applicant.

This year, 44 students will receive jackets from the Blue Jacket Bonanza during the Delaware FFA State Convention. Since 2015, Delaware Farm Bureau has awarded 335 jackets totaling more than $17,000 through the program.

“To me, it was just an incredible feeling to own my first personal Sussex Tech FFA jacket. Wearing it connects me to the members and officers who came before me and keeps me focused on the goals ahead,” said Taylor Bullis, a Sussex Technical High School student, during last year's presentation at Delaware State University. She received a blue jacket in 2019. “To me, my blue jacket means much more than just my involvement in the FFA. It symbolizes my growth as a person, as a student and as a leader. Our blue corduroy jacket is much more than just fabric and stitching. It’s a symbol of hope, of hard work, of determination, of sacrifice and of friendship. My blue corduroy jacket represents how the FFA, just like the Farm Bureau, has stood the test of time and will continue to stand."

The following Sussex County students will be awarded blue jackets from the Delaware Farm Bureau in 2021: Seaford High School, Lillie Larimore and Leila Sturgill; Laurel High School, Brayden Hearn; Woodbridge High School, Laney Scott, Avery Kerrick and Carley DeFord; and Milford Senior High School, Jorja Willey, Keyla Natareno, Aspen Balas, Colin O'Connor, Mason Foxwell, Victoria Wilson, Matthew Sacks and Tyler Smith.