Oklahoma FFA wins 17 national titles at convention
Oklahoma FFA led the title count in five major award groups at the 99th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, with 17 national titles.
Oklahoma FFA members earned one American Star award, five Proficiency Awards, two team championships and nine Agriscience Fair championships to finish ahead of Texas, which earned 14 titles, and California, which had 13.
The National FFA Convention celebrates FFA members from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The convention includes individual award and degree recognition, chapter award recognition, official delegate business and national officer elections.
“It fills me with a lot of pride to see our members do so well and represent Oklahoma on the national stage,” said Trevor Lucas, Oklahoma FFA executive secretary with Oklahoma CareerTech. “We may have a smaller population, but we have outstanding students and agriculture instructors who challenge and encourage them every day. These national honors reflect the teaching and learning taking place in agricultural education programs across our state.”
Read more on the Oklahoma CareerTech website.
CareerTech honors aviation maintenance tech student
Oklahoma CareerTech has named Rigley Fite, a Southwest Technology Center student, its October 2026 Outstanding Aviation Maintenance Technician Student of the Month.
Fite, a Mangum High School student, is in the general aircraft maintenance course at Southwest Tech.
After graduation, he says, he plans to work at Altus Air Force Base and earn his A&P mechanics license.
Fite said he decided he wanted to be an aircraft mechanic as a child when his father took him to his work at Altus AFB and showed him the base and the aircraft.
Fite maintains a 4.0 GPA and plays football, basketball and baseball. He is a member of the Mangum High School Honors Society. He also works on his family farm.
Meridian Tech receives grant to build training facility
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration awarded Meridian Technology Center a $3 million grant to build a workforce and industrial training facility in Stillwater.
The 13,600-square-foot center will be built in northern Stillwater, providing nearby employers convenient access to training for their employees.
“Part of Meridian’s mission is to secure economic futures,” said Alex Evers, Meridian executive director of workforce and economic development. “This facility will help us carry out that mission by bringing workforce training closer to the businesses and employees who need it.”
Read more on the Stillwater News Press website.
Central Tech student builds skills with plumbing company
Denver Flood, a second-year construction trades student at Central Technology Center, spent the summer working with Action Inc., a plumbing company in Tulsa, where he got hands-on experience and a look at the skills and work ethic necessary for success.
The Bristow High School student trenched for pipe and helped the foreman with pipe installation. He said he learned that small things he learned in class made a big difference on the job site.
“They were really impressed by how I knew how to tie the cords up,” he said.
After graduation, Flood said he plans to pursue a career in construction management in the plumbing industry.
Read more on the Central Tech website.
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