National FFA Organization Names American Star Awards Finalists; Two are from South Dakota

The National FFA Organization has named the 16 finalists for its 2026 American Star Awards, recognizing the organization’s highest-achieving student members. The finalists will compete in four categories: American Star Farmer, American Star in Agribusiness, American Star in Agricultural Placement, and American Star in Agriscience.

The awards honor students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, management skills, and success through their Supervised Agricultural Experience, or SAE, programs. SAEs provide hands-on learning through activities such as operating an agricultural business, working in the industry through internships, or conducting agricultural research projects. The American Star Awards are considered the highest achievement among recipients of the American FFA Degree, recognizing the very best of more than one million FFA members nationwide. Winners will be selected following interviews with a panel of judges and announced during the 99th National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis this fall.

The finalists are:

American Star in Agricultural Placement
Jaron Black from the Streator FFA Chapter in Illinois
Jamin Miles from the Appling County FFA Chapter in Georgia
Landon Roling from the McCook Central FFA Chapter in South Dakota
Noah Thomas Wiley from the Labette County FFA Chapter in Kansas

American Star in Agriscience
Sarah Beck from the Corsicana FFA Chapter in Texas
Lauren Roling from the McCook Central FFA Chapter in South Dakota
Tessa Tauke from the Beckman Catholic FFA Chapter in Iowa
Jose A. Villanos from the LaRue County FFA Chapter in Kentucky

American Star Farmer
Bailee Amstutz from the North Union FFA Chapter in Ohio
Kaleb James Ellis from the Cochrane-Fountain City FFA Chapter in Wisconsin
Cooper Kline from the North Rock Creek FFA Chapter in Oklahoma
Justin Myers from the Forreston FFA Chapter in Illinois

American Star in Agribusiness
Benjamin Biros from the Seneca FFA Chapter in Illinois
Luke Brand Schilling of the Eastern Hancock FFA Chapter in Indiana
Wesley Thomas Winch of the Fennimore FFA Chapter in Wisconsin
Jose Yepez of the Greenville FFA Chapter in Texas

Visit FFA.org/Stars for more information about the American Star Awards.