Tennessee FFA Awards Commissioner Reynolds an Honorary Degree

Highlighting Strong State Support for Agriculture Education

Nashville, TN-Commissioner of Education, Lizzette Reynolds, was awarded the Honorary Tennessee FFA State Degree, which is awarded to individuals who have rendered outstanding service to the FFA and agricultural education at the state level. This degree acknowledges the efforts of those who support FFA chapters and help advance agricultural education, thereby inspiring students to achieve their goals in agriculture and related fields.

"I am beyond grateful for this recognition," said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. "Agriculture plays a foundational role in the state of Tennessee and remains a critical industry for our economy. I am incredibly proud to support the essential work being done through agricultural education."

Commissioner Reynolds accepted the award in person this week at the 98th Tennessee FFA Convention and Expo at the Gatlinburg Convention Center in Gatlinburg, TN. Under her leadership, the department has supported efforts with the Department of Agriculture to ensure that courses align with core FFA skills and industry needs for postsecondary success.

Since Commissioner Reynolds arrived in Tennessee, she has been enthralled with the agriculture education community across the state. She is a regular attendee of FFA events, including the FFA Breakfast and the annual Alvin C. York Institute trip with Farm Bureau, and has further supported the organization through mentorship and by writing letters of recommendation.

Tennessee education is seeing the impact of these programs in powerful ways:

• More than 5,000 students are participating in Work-Based Learning and Supervised Agricultural Experience courses, gaining valuable real-world experience while still in school.
• In the 2025-26 school year, Agriscience Technologies and Precision Agriculture courses were launched to provide students with the scientific, technological, and data-driven skills needed to engage with emerging technologies in modern agriculture and support sustainable resource management.
• Agricultural education is also expanding in Tennessee for middle schools. To date, 57 schools offer agriculture courses to 8,694 students, representing a 13 percent increase since last year.
• Over the past three years, agriculture students have increased scores by 4 percent in reading, 2.6 percent in math, and 5.5 percent in science.

FFA is a youth organization that prepares members for leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. FFA develops members' potential and helps them discover their talents through hands-on experiences in middle and high school, which gives members the tools to achieve real-world success. Tennessee FFA is the seventh-largest association, boasting more than 34,000 members across the state from 246 school chapters.

For more information, visit the Tennessee FFA webpage.

For Tennessee Department of Education media inquiries, contact [email protected].

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