State Representative Wayne Rosenthal is honoring a Staunton student for national success in agriculture.

Rosenthal passed House Resolution 882 on Tuesday, recognizing Molly McCalla for earning the 2025 National Agricultural Proficiency Award in Sheep Production. The award is considered the highest national recognition for excellence in agricultural entrepreneurship and supervised agricultural experience through the National FFA Organization.

Rosenthal says McCalla’s accomplishments highlight the importance of youth leadership in agriculture and the role young people play in innovation, sustainability, and stewardship within Illinois’ agriculture industry.

McCalla also earned the 2026 Illinois FFA Agricultural Proficiency Award for Diversified Livestock Production through her work in poultry egg production, Angus cattle operations, and sheep production. She is a senior member of the Staunton FFA and was recently named a recipient of the Murray State University Presidential Fellowship Scholarship.

Rosenthal also thanked McCalla’s FFA advisors, John Davin, Spencer Laughlin, and Maggie McCalla, for their support and mentorship.

The full presentation from the Illinois House of Representatives can be viewed here: Illinois House Presentation Video