Hagerstown senior Katee Cowan took her first step toward postgraduate life. After years of hard work and preparation, she was selected as a SEED intern with Keystone Cooperative.
She signed the official agreement at an April 7 ceremony in Hagerstown Jr./Sr. High School’s auditorium, surrounded by family, friends, school faculty and Keystone colleagues.
Securing Experience and Employee Development is Keystone’s one-year program that equips graduating FFA seniors with real-world, hands-on experience for careers in the agriculture and energy industry.
Cowan showed interest in the SEED program two years ago. She joined FFA and worked at Schaeffer’s Slow Cattle Farm to gain agriculture experience.
Cowan chose the program because of Keystone’s family-based operations and the promise to not just earn a job, but build a career.
“I’ll have so many opportunities and gain relationships,” Cowan said. She thanked her teachers, Superintendent Emily Schaeffer and her grandmother for all the encouragement.
FFA advisor and agriculture/science teacher Christy Herr recalled Cowan telling her the good news.
“She didn’t know if she was going to get sick or cry,” Herr said. She hopes Cowan will return to share her experiences.
School counselor Julie Arnold expressed pride for Cowan, and said that her mother would have been proud as well. Cowan’s mother, who passed away last October, was instrumental in Cowan achieving this goal.
Schaeffer shared how fun it was to watch Cowan journey out of her comfort zone and hopes she continues to grow.
A version of this article appeared in the April 15 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.