Sunrise Cooperative Hires 14 Graduating Seniors - Western Reserve’s Cooper Zunis Selected as Top Recipient

Fremont, Ohio – May 1, 2025  During the opening session of the 97th Ohio FFA Sate Convention, Sunrise Cooperative, Inc. officially recognized its 2025 class of the RISE FFA Career Program. Joined on stage by George Secor, President/CEO of Sunrise, 14 graduating seniors were honored for landing full-time employment with Sunrise following their graduation.

Slated to join the Sunrise team are Caleb Tener from Greenon FFA, Cooper Zunis from Western Reserve FFA, Diton Farnsworth, Savannah Morrison, Landon Koch and Landon Gamble from South Central FFA, Drake Copeland of Waynesfield-Goshen FFA, Josie Stiner and Kayla Thobe from Miami Valley CTC FFA, Matthias Yelton of Sidney FFA, Willow Funk from Hillsdale FFA, Steven Opaliski from Firelands FFA, Sophia Sharp of Upper Valley CTC FFA and Zee Baker from Sentinel CTC FFA.

In addition to full-time employment, Cooper Zunis was selected as the top recipient and will receive a 2024 Jeep Gladiator, that the 2024-2025 Ohio FFA President Anna Moeller drove during her tenure, as a signing bonus. Along with his top honor, he earned a $1,000 FFA chapter donation from Sunrise.

Sunrise is also honored to present each new hire’s FFA chapter with a $500 chapter donation on their behalf. When the program began, Sunrise presented each new hire with a $250 chapter donation, but we were honored to begin doubling that amount a year ago.

Following graduation, these individuals will officially join the team at Sunrise and will work their way through our RISE FFA Career Program, otherwise referred to as Sunrise University. Over the next four years, our new hires will gain hands-on, real-life job experiences, while learning all facets of the cooperative. The goal of the program is continued employment after learning all facets of the cooperative and building a career. Candidates for the RISE FFA Career Program needed to be a 2025 high school graduate and active with their FFA chapter. They had to submit an application, along with an essay on how the FFA has prepared them for a career with Sunrise. The Ohio FFA Foundation reviewed and interviewed the applicants and made the selection of the recipients for a full-time position with Sunrise upon graduation. The RISE FFA Career Program was developed in 2019 and serves two purposes: provide an avenue to reach the future leaders of agriculture, while supporting the Ohio FFA Association State President during their term in office. Since its first class in 2020, Sunrise has hired 54 graduating seniors, and currently boast a nearly 85% retention rate. We began with hiring one senior in 2020 and have expanded each year hiring 14 seniors in both 2024 and 2025.

For more information on the Sunrise RISE FFA Career Program you can visit the Sunrise website at www.sunriseco-op.com/RISEFFA. The application process for the 2026 program will open in January of 2026. If you have any questions contact Morgan Niedermier, Vice President of Marketing, at (419) 332-6468 ext. 222 or through email at morganniedermier@sunriseco-op.com.
 

Meet Our 2025 Class of the RISE FFA Career Program

Caleb Tener is from Springfield, Ohio. He is a graduate Greenon High School where he was a four-year member of the Greenon FFA Chapter. Caleb has worked towards his State FFA Degree and has served as his chapter’s Chaplain. He has agriculture experience through his SAE’s and servicing on the Clark County Junior Fair Board. Most recently, he joined the Hustead Volunteer Fire Department.

Cooper Zunis is from Norwalk, Ohio. He is a graduate of Western Reserve High School where he was an active member of its FFA Chapter. Cooper brings over five years of experience working as a farmhand for local farmers, assisting from planting through harvest. He is a State FFA Degree recipient and participated in numerous FFA contests throughout high school.

Diton Farnsworth is from Greenwich, Ohio and is a graduate of South Central High School where he was a four-year member of its FFA Chapter. He served as South Central FFA’s Student Advisor and Sentinel over his high school career. Diton is a State FFA Degree recipient and an American FFA Degree recipient elect.

Drake Copeland is from Waynesfield, Ohio and is a graduate of Waynesfield-Goshen High School, where he was a four-year FFA member. Through high school, Drake served as an Information Technology Assistant for his school district and was a National Resource Specialist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Drake earned his State FFA Degree and was an honor roll student.

Josie Stiner is from New Paris, Ohio and attended the Miami Valley Career and Technology Center and National Trail High School. She was an active member of the Miami Valley CTC FFA Chapter and studied agriculture and livestock production at the career center. Josie participates in the Ohio High School Rodeo and brings experience working on a horse farm.

Kayla Thobe is from Greenville, Ohio. She is a graduate of Miami Valley Career and Technology Center and Tri-Village High School. Kayla was an active member of the Miami Valley CTC FFA Chapter while studying in their Agriculture and Livestock Production Lab. She earned her State FFA Degree

Landon Gamble is from Greenwich, Ohio. He attended South Central High School and was a member of the South Central FFA Chapter. Landon has served as a chairperson for numerous FFA activities.

Landon Koch is from North Fairfield, Ohio and is a graduate of South Central High School where he was a member of the South Central FFA Chapter. During his time in FFA he has supported numerous chapter activities and earned customer service experience working outside of school.

Matthias Yelton is from Sidney, Ohio and is a graduate of Sidney High School. He brings customer service experience to Sunrise through his time working at Kroger through high school. He is a State FFA Degree honoree and has held numerous officer positions with the Sidney FFA Chapter.

Savannah Morrison is from Greenwich, Ohio and was an active member of the South Central FFA Chapter and is a recent graduate of South Central High School. She brings valuable agriculture experience to Sunrise from her CDE’s she completed while in high school.

Sophia Sharp is from Sidney, Ohio. She is a graduate of Upper Valley Career Technology Center and Hardin Houston High School. Sophia was an active member of the Upper Valley CTC FFA Chapter, while studying in the Agricultural Food and Natural Resources, along with the Animal Science and Technology/Plant and Horticultural Science trades. She has earned her State Degree and earned numerous top rankings in FCCLA.

Steven Opaliski is from Wakeman, Ohio. He is a graduate of Firelands High School where he was an active member of the Firelands FFA Chapter. He brings farming work experience to Sunrise, along with numerous accolades through his time showing at the Lorain County Fair. Steven is a State FFA Degree recipient.

Willow Funk is from Jeromesville, Ohio. She is a four-year member of the Hillsdale FFA Chapter, earning her State FFA Degree, and was a previous volunteer for the Ashland County Humane Society and the Rascal Unit, Ltd Veterinary Hospital. Willow is a four-year member of the Falcons softball team and has worked towards a vet science certification through the Ashland County West Holmes Career Center.

Zee Baker is from Tiffin, Ohio. He is a graduate of the Sentinel Career and Technology Center and Tiffin Columbian High School. He studied Agricultural Education at Sentinel CTC and was an active member of the Sentinel CTC FFA Chapter, earning his Grain Grading and N.C.C.E.R. certifications.

Sunrise Cooperative, Inc. is a leading agricultural and energy cooperative with its corporate headquarters located in Fremont, Ohio. We offer team-based solutions across multiple divisions including agronomy, grain and energy, as well as a nationally recognized precision ag department and our own crop nutrition division, PCT | Sunrise. Sunrise is a 100-percent farmer-owned cooperative, and we are committed to bringing innovative choices and expert solutions to our customer-owners. At Sunrise, we offer you the best choices delivered by the best team through our state-of-the art facilities and expertly trained employees. We strive each day to grow your success.