WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Bonaire Middle School's Future Farmers of America chapter recently found out they're among the best in the nation.
In September, the school's FFA chapter competed nationally for the highest honor given to a middle school FFA chapter.
"My jaw, I swear, it dropped all the way to the floor," Camryn Graham said.
"It didn't hit me at first until my mind was able to comprehend what just happened," Marlee Swartwood said.
"It surprised me a lot," Allison Phillips said.
Camryn Graham, Marlee Swartwood, and Allison Phillips are all sharing the same feelings after finding out that their FFA chapter received national recognition.
"This is a feeling that we can't get over, like, 'Oh, my gosh, we won, we're the best in the nation!'" Swartwood said.
In September, Bonaire Middle School's FFA chapter was 1 of 5 in the nation, selected as one of the Middle School Models of Excellence finalists..
In October, they competed for the highest honor awarded to a middle school FFA chapter by the National FFA Organization and won.
"To be a model of excellence, means that the National FFA has selected our chapter as putting on activities for our students that show a very balanced program of activities," Keily said.
Cheralyn Keily is the agriculture teacher who helped her students make this all possible.
She says her students were judged based off a year's worth of activities that they planned and executed.
"We did an animal supply drive and made adoption brochures for our local animal shelters to advocate for them," Graham said.
Other activities include taking care of and raising bunnies, growing food in the school's greenhouse and giving it back to the community, and more.
Graham, Swartwood, and Keily say this recognition motivates them even more, to carry out their mission -- to practice brotherhood, honor agricultural opportunities and responsibilities.
Bonaire Middle's FFA chapter competed against over 650 middle schools in the nation for that award.