Effingham County FFA member Julia Gonzalez has been awarded a $1,000 Tractor Supply-Growing Scholars scholarship from the National FFA Organization.

Gonzalez also has been elected to the 2014-15 state FFA officer team, as the Central Region vice president.

Gonzalez, an Effingham County High School graduate, plans to pursue a degree at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

The Growing Scholars scholarship is sponsored by Tractor Supply Company as a special project of the National FFA Foundation. Gonzalez’s scholarship is one of 1,786 awarded through the National FFA Organization’s scholarship program this year.

Gonzalez was among the state officers elected at the 86th Georgia State FFA Convention in Macon last month. The officers will serve throughout the next year as advocates of agricultural education and the Georgia FFA Association.

To become a state officer, members must hold their state FFA degree and be an active member of the FFA. They must demonstrate leadership ability, knowledge of agriculture and the FFA, and have a passion for the development of FFA members.

The new state officer team will participate in a variety of leadership conferences and work with businesses and industries throughout the state as well as legislators, school administrators and other decision-makers. Also, the officers will be responsible for creating and facilitating leadership conferences for middle and high school students.