2025-26 FFA President Zaden Housekeeper is a truly remarkable young man. A recent News Journal report covering the latest regular meeting of the Williamsburg Independent School Board of Education included the fact that he was recognized by the board for his multiple history-making accomplishments. Since then, he has taken the time to discuss what those accomplishments mean to him, what he hopes the future will hold for both himself and the school’s FFA program, and much more.
Housekeeper began by recapping some of the activities that took place during Agriculture Week, which was recognized in mid-September.
“All of the high school ag students went down into the elementary school and taught different lessons,” Housekeeper explained. “When it comes to being with the younger kids, that is always my favorite time. I enjoy getting to show them things that they might not get to see every day, and allowing them to get hands-on. I love being able to show them what all they can do [in FFA].”
In addition to spending some time with the young kids, Housekeeper and his fellow FFA officers were also able to schedule several activities for middle school students and their fellow high school classmates as well. This included something he called “dare to dairy,” which involved making butter in a jar and ice cream inside of a plastic baggie. A game of dairy Jeopardy was also utilized to help educate students about the dairy industry, and participants also had the chance to get physical while competing in some agriculture Olympic games that included tug of war, relays, and a balloon stomp.
“Overall, it was a great time,” Housekeeper said of the Ag Week festivities. “We are just trying to make sure that the whole school sees the many ways that FFA contributes to our community.
State FFA Degree holder
Housekeeper is currently the first FFA student from Williamsburg to hold a state degree, meaning he is getting recognized at the state level for his commitment to the program and his efforts to be an advocate for agriculture in his home community.
“Hopefully it will be something that helps me with my state officer application,” Housekeeper said, meaning he wants to be in the running in the near future to become a state FFA officer. Currently, he is serving as a regional officer for the FFA’s Kentucky Regional Region, making him the first student from WHS to ever obtain such a designation.
Housekeeper explained that there are opportunities to earn national recognition within the FFA as well, but for now he is remaining focused on the task of representing Williamsburg at the state level. Specifically, he said that he wants to show other fledgling chapters (Williamsburg FFA is only in its fourth year of existence), that the future is bright and that much can be accomplished starting on day one after a chapter is formed.
Checkmate: State Fair Blue Ribbon winner
As if Housekeeper didn’t have his hands full enough already, he also spent a considerable amount of time recently working on a special woodworking project that ultimately earned him, and the Williamsburg FFA club as a whole, special recognition at the 2025 Kentucky State Fair.
The project, a hand-crafted chessboard with playing pieces and an internal storage tray, was a labor of love that has resulted in a one-of-a-kind heirloom piece to be cherished forever.
“We met as an officer team, and tried to come up with some ideas about how we could get Williamsburg FFA some more recognition, and show that we have something to contribute,” Housekeeper said. “All of our members have done a great job with that, but I saw that there is a state agriculture mechanics competition. When I heard that, we looked into it and saw an opportunity for me to submit in the woodworking category.”
“That is something that my dad taught me about a long time ago,” Housekeeper said of woodworking. “It is something that I have always loved doing.”
With the goal of creating a chess board out of wood in mind, Housekeeper visited his grandparents’ house daily for about a month to complete the unique project. He said the checkerboard top is made from red oak that has been stained and varnished, and the storage box underneath is made from white pine and trimmed in the same red oak. When finished, he said it came out exactly the way that he had envisioned.
“I am very proud of it, and glad that it turned out the way that it did,” Housekeeper said. “It is special, because I got to spend a whole month with my grandparents while making it.”
Housekeeper said that he plays a little bit of chess himself, but that his brother, Zyler, is the real chess player of the family. He said that he looks forward to using the hand-crafted set as a way to spend time with his brother for years to come.
“I enjoy playing against him, even though he always wins,” Housekeeper said of his sibling.
Next stop… 2025 National FFA Convention
Just to quickly recap, Housekeeper is already serving as regional FFA officer. He leads all of the club-related activities at his school, and he has aspirations of becoming a state officer in the near future. He is an accomplished woodworker, and a State Fair Blue Ribbon winner. What else could he possibly add to the list? How about appearing at the upcoming National FFA Convention in Indianapolis to play a musical instrument…
Yes, on top of all of the above-mentioned accomplishments, Housekeeper is also a musician, playing clarinet in the school band. And wouldn’t you know it, FFA also has opportunities for band students as well.
“I have gone the past two years,” Housekeeper said the National FFA Convention. “And there is always a FFA band playing. I have been in the band here at Williamsburg, so I started to wonder if I could do that.”
Housekeeper said he did a bit of researching, and found out that he needed to submit an application and an audition video in order to be considered. He did this, but said he didn’t feel very confident about his submission. That is, until he received the congratulatory e-mail informing him that he had been accepted to come and perform live at the convention.
This achievement, another first for the Williamsburg FFA program, means that Housekeeper will be headed in Indy later this month, and will spend an entire week performing alongside other FFA members from all over the country. “It will be cool to be on that national stage, representing Kentucky and Williamsburg,” he said. “It will be an amazing experience.”
Hopes for the future
Housekeeper is obviously passionate about agriculture, and wants to see the FFA program continue to grow and thrive in the years after he graduates. Currently, he and Vice President Emily Cooper are working to obtain funding for a greenhouse facility that he hopes will give future students the opportunity to get more hands-on experience with their ag lessons at WHS.
As for his personal future plans, he said he will be applying to the University of Kentucky, where he hopes to study animal science. He said that he loves being around animals, and has benefitted greatly from recent experiences with horse showing and participating in a student internship at the Corbin Veterinary Clinic.
Before graduating, Housekeeper said that he plans on helping the Yellow Jacket track and field program in the spring as a distance runner.
When asked what he would like to say to those FFA members who will be following in his footsteps in the coming years at WHS, Housekeeper said, “I just want kids to understand that, if you want to do something, you just have to apply yourself.”
Housekeeper said that, for those willing to put forth the effort, FFA certainly provides no shortage of opportunities to succeed. He is definitely living proof of that.
