Mikayla Spiller wins California Creed Recitation title; Livestock Evaluation Team earns State Champion honors

By Analisa Jorgensen 

Guest Contributor 

ATASCADERO — Last May, five members of the Atascadero FFA chapter earned the opportunity to compete at the FFA National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

Among them is Mikayla Spiller, a sophomore at Atascadero High School, who became the 2024 California State Champion in Creed Recitation. Creed recitation is a unique competition that involves participants memorizing and delivering the FFA Creed, written by E.M. Tiffany in 1928, as well as answering agriculture-related questions. Spiller’sjourney through the competition has been impressive, starting with her second-place finish in the San Luis Obispo sectional contest. She then advanced to the South Coast regional contest, where she claimed first place, qualifying her for the state finals, where she ultimately captured the title of state champion.

In addition to Spiller’s individual achievement, four other members of Atascadero FFA also rose to the occasion. Elizabeth Wagster, a senior; Jaycee Salas, a junior; Kensington Witt, a 2024 graduate; and Lacy Conlan, a senior, together formed the team that became the 2024 California State Champions in livestock evaluation. Their incredible performance also qualified them to represent California at the national competition in October. 

Livestock evaluation is a rigorous team competition where four students assess 10-12 classes of market and breeding animals. They must rank each class from first to fourth place, followed by presenting a set of “reasons” where they explain and justify their decisions, demonstrating their knowledge of animal conformation, structure, and function.

Reflecting on her accomplishment, Spiller shared, “There’s no way I thought I’d make it to state, let alone nationals. I’ve had practices after school every week, and sometimes during lunch, just reciting the creed and making sure it’sperfect. I’ve also spent a lot of time going over questions, researching various agricultural topics, and making sure I have the best examples possible.”

Despite her initial reluctance, as she jokingly admits to having been “forced to do it” by her advisor, Yvonne Sudberry, Spiller has grown passionate about the creed competition. She now feels confident and ready to take on the challenge of competing with other creed speakers from across the country at the national level.

Similarly, the livestock evaluation team is putting in considerable effort to prepare for the national competition. 

“The team is practicing for livestock judging in Indiana by working multiple times a week,” explained Wagster. “We travel to different fairs, practice on live classes, and give sets of reasons during our sessions. Before nationals, we’llalso leave early to travel throughout the Midwest, visiting various colleges and ranches to observe and judge their livestock.” 

Elizabeth, who has been judging livestock since she was 13, is excited for the team’s opportunity to represent California on the national stage. The trip to Indiana will not only provide a platform to showcase their skills, but also a chance to experience and learn from different agricultural practices across the Midwest.

These five, Elizabeth Wagster, Lacy Conlan, Jaycee Salas, and Mikayla Spilled are ready to represent Atascadero at the national level and are focused on achieving great success with these opportunities they have earned. As they compete in these competitions which they have passion and determination for. If you are interested in supporting these talented, local FFA members please visit our Atascadero FFA boosters website at atascadero-ffa-boosters.square.site/ or follow our Facebook and Instagram (@atascaderoffa) to keep up to date on the journey of our members.

Analisa Jorgensen, Atascadero FFA reporter and a senior at Atascadero High School, is a guest contributor for Atascadero News and Paso Robles Press as part of our commitment to supporting local school districts and promoting local journalism.

Feature Image: Mikayla Spiller holds her plaques earned for the creed competition. Photo provided by Atascadero FFA