Tri-Valley Central School District is proud to announce that senior Emily Lucak has been named the 2026–2027 New York State FFA Sentinel. She received this prestigious honor on Sunday, April 19, 2026, at the Oswegatchie Education Center in Croghan, NY.
Lucak’s journey to State Office is a testament to her perseverance, dedication, and passion for agricultural education. She began preparing for this opportunity more than two years ago, first participating in the 2024 slating process for District President. She continued to pursue her goal by applying for State Office in both 2025 and 2026. Despite not being slated in her earlier attempts, Lucak remained committed and determined.
The 2026 selection process was highly competitive and rigorous. It began with a preliminary round that included a written application, a writing sample detailing her experiences in FFA and agricultural education, and a blog response to a prompt. Candidates were also required to submit a video featuring a six-minute introductory speech and responses to five impromptu questions.
Lucak advanced as a Top 20 candidate and moved on to an intensive four-day interview process at Oswegatchie. During this time, candidates were evaluated by a panel of 11 student and graduate judges on more than 100 competencies. The process included one-on-one round robin interviews, stakeholder scenario interviews focused on FFA and agricultural issues, a timed stand-and-deliver speech, and a final personal interview with the full panel.
FFA Advisor Tara Burke described the process as “the most challenging interview any young person can go through. No matter the results, the skills needed to accomplish the interviews are such great preparation for life.”
Lucak was officially announced as the 2026–2027 State Sentinel and immediately joined her fellow state officers. The announcement was celebrated by her family and friends and was also streamed live on the New York FFA Facebook page.
She will be formally installed at the State FFA Convention in May and will spend the next year traveling across New York State, connecting with approximately 24,000 agricultural education students and 16,000 FFA members.
Tri-Valley congratulates Emily Lucak on this outstanding achievement! Her hard work, resilience, and leadership make her a source of pride for the entire school community.