Submitted Photo Christina Bingham, a Max graduate, Ben Van Berkom, a Des Lacs-Burlington graduate, and Hannah Remington, a South Prairie graduate, were all recently elected state FFA officers.

Three recent high school graduates from the Minot area have been elected as state FFA officers.

Ben Van Berkom, who graduated this spring from Des Lacs-Burlington, was elected president. Christina Bingham, who graduated this spring from Max High School, was elected state secretary. Hannah Remington, who graduated this spring from South Prairie, is now the state parliamentarian officer.

Two of the three officers said they are interested in going on to teach agriculture education at the high school level.

‘I want to have an influence on people in the future,” said Van Berkom, who joined the FFA as a seventh grader.

Van Berkom said that the people he met along the way were a big, positive influence on him when he was growing up.

“It’s been really cool to finally come full circle and be a state officer,” he said.

As the president of the organization, he and the other officers will help plan different conferences and lead others in the group for the next year.

Van Berkom plans to attend North Dakota State University in Fargo this fall as well.

Remington will attend Minot State University this fall, but said she eventually plans to transfer to NDSU and also pursue a degree in agriculture education.

“For me, FFA has always meant home,” she said, and added that the organization has helped her develop new skills and showcase them at different competitions. She has also made a lot of new friends along the way.

Bingham, who plans to attend the University of Mary in Bismarck and hopes to become a family nurse practitioner, said FFA helped her become bolder.

“When I was younger, I was more nervous,” said Bingham. “I didn’t like public speaking. FFA has really brought me out of my shell. I’ve turned public speaking from a weakness to a strength.”

Van Berkom, Remington, and Bingham were in Bismarck this week attending training.

Over the next year, the officers will serve as the face of their organization.

Bingham said they are also there to serve their members, younger teens whose experiences they can relate to so well.