REDMOND — At first, KaraAnn Akers watched from a distance as her father tended to a pair of backyard beehives at their home in La Grande.

“I was scared,” said Akers, now a 16-year-old junior at La Grande High School. “I didn’t want to get stung.”

Gradually, she became more comfortable working around the bees, helping her dad during hive inspections. She learned how to use the bee smoker, emitting puffs of white smoke to keep the bees calm while being handled, and check each frame for parasitic mites and diseases.

As she gained confidence, Akers took over and grew the project from two hives to 15. Beekeeping became her “supervised agricultural experience” through Oregon FFA, where students apply classroom lessons to real-world experiences.

Akers was one of 324 Oregon FFA members to earn their State Degree in 2023 — the highest award a state FFA organization can bestow. Recipients were honored Friday, March 17, during the 95th annual Oregon FFA State Convention at the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center in Redmond.

Strolling across the main stage to receive her gold-plated charm was a surreal moment, Akers said.

“The lights were in your eyes. The camera is also right there, so you’re in the spotlight,” she said. “I was totally in awe of what was happening.”

The award was also a recognition of years of hard work paying off.

Last year, Akers said she spent at least seven hours every Sunday checking on her bees. She contracted with farmers to place her hives at four properties around Union County, pollinating crops such as cherries, potatoes, mint and clover.

“They had a better bloom, having those bees right on the property rather than relying on those other bees that might not be right close,” Akers said.

In addition to pollination services, Akers sells quart-sized jars of honey from her bees and will do swarm removals for her neighbors. She estimated she’s earned $6,000 from her project, and she hopes to continue beekeeping to help pay her way through college.

“I really want to continue keeping bees my entire life,” she said. “It’s something I love.”

Akers is the first person in her family to participate in FFA. She initially raised a breeding ewe her freshman year of high school to show at the Union County Fair and Eastern Oregon Livestock Show, though a hip surgery later kept her from pursuing livestock.

Beekeeping was essentially a ready-made replacement project for her SAE. Akers and her dad, James, attended a summer class together and also went once a month to visit with Jan Lohman, an expert beekeeper at Vazza Farms in Hermiston.

After attending her first FFA meeting, Akers said she knew she wanted to be a part of what to her felt like a big family.

“Everyone was super supportive of each other,” she said. “It was really fun to watch. When one person succeeds, everyone in the chapter celebrates that.”

Heading into her senior year of high school, Akers has taken on a leadership role as vice president of the La Grande FFA chapter. She said she wants to continue inspiring her fellow members, helping them to step outside of their comfort zone and try new things.

“I would have never become the person I am today without those first couple of pushes to get me there,” she said.