CHS Senior Jorja Cooper Earns New FFA Recognition

By JIMMY ESPY
Staff Writer
Chattooga High School senior Jorja Cooper has been chosen to serve as an ambassador at the state FFA convention in Macon.
Cooper, the daughter of Charles and Donna Cooper, of Lyerly, will escort school administrators and foundation sponsors during the three-day gathering, April 25-27.
It is the latest in a string of accomplishments for Cooper, who grew up on a beef cattle farm in Lyerly.
Cooper is the president of the local chapter of FFA. She has been state champion of four classes in dairy showmanship. She has also served as vice president of the Georgia Dairy Youth Foundation junior board of directors.
Cooper said she applied to be an ambassador about a month ago. She had to fill out a multi-page application and submit an essay titled “Why I would be good for the ambassador program.”
“I found out last Friday,” she said. “Someone contacted Mr. (David) Yarbrough, my FFA adviser.”
Cooper said the details of what she will be doing in Macon haven’t been made clear but she’s excited at the opportunity to be an ambassador. She credits teachers Lauren Jarrett and David Yarbrough with helping “get me where I am today.”
Cooper joined FFA in the sixth grade. Her interest in a career in agriculture has only grown since then. She has been accepted at the University Georgia where she will seek a bachelor’s degree in animal science to be followed by a doctorate in veterinary medicine.
“I have always had a passion for animals and love working with them,” she said.