Falls City High School graduate Megan Wright has been named the national winner in a National FFA proficiency program.

She competed with three other national finalists at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana on October 27 before she was named the winner.

"I think she was probably just as shocked as we were," Falls City High School ag teacher Brett Wright said. "At that level, you’ve got to be positive about it, but at the same time, you’re competing against three others from across the whole United States. That’s the best of the best, there. It really was a neat accomplishment and we’re definitely proud of her."

Her teacher and mentor for four years in high school, Brett also is Megan’s father, and he and Megan’s mother Karen have been encouraging her since she first started raising animals.

The national competition focused on Megan’s goat herd and the years she’s been working, managing, and keeping up with its production. She currently has 25 nannies and around 30 kids in the herd, which she was interviewed about during the competition.

The entire process started with an extensive application that went before a Texas judge panel. Megan won first place in the state, earning a $1,000 scholarship and her qualification for the national competition.

Another judge panel selected four finalists from a pool of about 40 state winners, and Megan’s name was on the list.

"I had never even expected to be in the top final four. Even (being) a national finalist was an accomplishment," she said. "When I originally filled out the whole application, my goal was just to win the scholarship at the state level. Once I had accomplished that goal, I mean I knew it went on to nationals and whatever … but I never expected to even see the top four, much less win the entire thing."

Wright currently is studying agricultural leadership and development at A&M College Station and working on a minor in business. She hopes to get into agriculture business and management when she finishes her studies.

She became an FFA member in her freshman year of high school and started the goat herd she eventually won the national competition with. The competition covers the extent of a goat herder’s project over many years.

"It’s not something that you just do one day. The proficiency application basically is a culmination of everything that she was doing with her projects over the time period that she was in high school," Brett Wright said.

Through Megan’s time in college, he and Karen have coordinated operations with her, making sure the herd’s breeding season overlaps with Megan’s vacation time from school, and other large activities fall on the weekends when she can be home.

Combined with the state-level scholarship money, Wright’s contest earnings toward her education totaled $2,250 after she’d been named the national winner.

Wright graduated from Falls City High School as valedictorian in 2005.