During the month of April, the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and Oklahoma Farm Report are spotlighting the 19 Area Stars of Oklahoma FFA, who are among the highest achievers in the organization.
The stars come from the five areas in four categories – Star in Ag Placement, Star in Agriscience, Star in Agribusiness, and Star in Agricultural Production.
Today and next week, we spotlight the five area stars in Ag Placement in 2025.
One Star Finalist featured in the coming days from each of the categories will be named the State Star Award Winner during the 99th Oklahoma State FFA Convention, which will take place on May 6th and 7th in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
This week, our coverage of the 2025 Oklahoma FFA Star Award Finalists continues with Ag Placement competitor Avery McGill of the Byng FFA chapter representing the Southeast Area.
“My project is unique for an FFA SAE,” McGill said. “I use prescribed burns to help mitigate wildfires while also benefiting wildlife. That is a fun balance to try and find because it is something difficult to deal with.”
She was inspired by her dad’s service as a volunteer fireman. “I grew up in the firehouse,” she said. “He had always done prescribed burns and different things like that, and as I got older, I decided that I wanted to help him. Then, the Ray fire happened, and he got deployed. Then, we really got started on our property burning, then we started helping neighbors, and it transformed into a business that eventually led to this really unique and cool SAE.”
Lacking an ag background, McGill joined FFA to try something new. With her ag teacher’s encouragement, she started giving speeches, joined the meat judging team, and discovered her niche with beneficial burning strategies. Currently, she is on the forestry team and more.
“I try to be as involved as I can because I didn’t grow up with an ag background. I want to try and show people that they don’t have to show animals – even though I did. It is more than just animals, it is agriculture’s place for everyone.”
McGill plans to major in nursing at East Central University with a goal to help bring better healthcare to rural areas.
Hear KC’s full conversation with Avery McGill by clicking on the Listen Bar above.
Your coverage of the 2025 Oklahoma FFA Convention is sponsored by Hilliary Communications, who deliver the latest cutting-edge communications services supporting tens of thousands of customers across 22 counties throughout Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa. The company offers internet, voice, and HilliaryTV. Hilliary Communications continuously researches the marketplace for innovations and strives to improve underserved areas, offering services that exceed customer expectations. Click here to learn more about Hilliary Communications.
For more information about the 99th Oklahoma State FFA Convention, click here.
