History of the Vega FFA Ag. Mechanics program.
At the beginning of the 2001-2002 school year the Vega FFA chapter made a decision to change the way a traditional small rural country school Ag Program functions. Up until this time the traditional show animal projects were the main focus of the chapter. While the students were learning great responsibility they were not learning much in terms profit earning, or Career training.
This is when the idea of building Ag. Mechanics projects was born. The chapter had been building projects for different people for many years, however they had not been competing on the state level. By attending the San Antonio Stock show Ag. Mechanics show in 2002 with a few students and a couple of projects a dynasty was born. To date the chapter has had over 1300 students competing with 555 projects at Ft Worth, San Angelo, San Antonio and Houston Stock show Ag. Mechanics shows. Furthermore, the chapter has won $389,300 in scholarships and greater than $711k in prizes. Some have considered Vega as one of the best Ag. Mechanics programs in the state. Competing against all schools in all classes, the chapter has won 9 Grand Champions, 11 Reserve Grand Champions, Multiple Division & Reserve Division Champions, winning Sweepstakes 13 times, and is the only school in the State of Texas to win the San Antonio Ag. Mechanics Show Showmanship 3 years consecutively.
Our motto is " Training Tomorrows Builders" we feel by providing this program we have not only taught responsibility, but provided the students with a skill that will enable them to have a career that will feed their families someday, or give them a hobby to pursue. Over the years our students have learned to design, fabricate an exhibit numerous projects. Not only do they learn the skills needed to design and construct these project, but maintain records, put together documentation in the form of plans, pictures, bill of materials, research, and safety. At the contest the student must use public relation skills they have learned to present their project to the public as well as the judges.
Vega is a small town 30 miles west of Amarillo; our school is classified as a 2A and has near 130 students in High School and of that there are 65 students in our FFA chapter. The population of Vega is less than 1000, however students are drawn to Vega from several surrounding counties.