October 23, 2008
Loren Mitchell of McCool, received the 2008 Youth Forestry Achievement Award
presented by Mississippi Forestry Association at their Annual Meeting held in Choctaw October 15-17
Loren was a member of the 1st place State FFA Forestry Team from Weir High School in 2007 and 2008. She ranked 4th and 3rd place for the overall high scorer category at the 2007 and 2008 state contests and was the 16th place high scorer at the national FFA Contest in 2008
McCool was also a member of the state winning 4-H Forestry Team from Choctaw County last year and was the 8th place high scoring individual in the national 4-H Forestry Contest.
Loren was the Weir FFA outstanding forestry member in 2008, FFA Chapter President, Vice President of her high school class, and is a consistent honor roll student. She has also been active in community service. McCool received a plaque, a monogrammed jacket, and a check for $500.
The Youth Forestry Leadership Award was presented to Patrick Lemoine of Brandon for his success in getting students involved in forestry activities.
Patrick recently moved from Weir High School in Choctaw County to Puckett Attendance Center in Rankin County. While at Weir, he helped establish a dynasty. Under his leadership as FFA advisor and Vocational Agriculture teacher, the Weir FFA team won the state contest three years in a row. In April of 2008, his team won the first ever “Pine Cone Trophy”, a new traveling trophy established by MFA’s Youth Forestry Committee. One of the best testaments to his leadership is that one of his students has been a finalist for the MFA Youth Forestry Achievement Award every year for the past four years and have won the award three times!
Lemoine was presented with a plaque, a check for $100 and a monogrammed jacket.
Mississippi Forestry Association (MFA), a non government, non profit organization that represents every group in the forestry community. MFA was formed in 1938 to guard and grow Missisissippi’s forests and there is still the goal today. The Association promotes conservation, sustainable forestry and public outreach programs. Please visit www.msforestry.net.