On November 1-3, I got the privilege of attending the National FFA Convention with our agriculture teacher Mrs.
Lucinda Blair. The acronym “FFA” stands for “Future Farmers of America,” but one does not necessarily have to be a future farmer to be a part of this organization. It serves to offer opportunities, inspire leadership and allow students to expand their knowledge.
For one week each year, thousands of FFA students flood the streets of Indianapolis donning national blue and corn gold corduroy jackets. Overall, I would say that going to the National Convention was definitely worthwhile. I got to meet and spend time with people from all over the country, immerse myself in agricultural experiences and learn how to better serve my community.
On days one and two, our moderately sized group of students went to the Indiana Convention Center. There we found shopping, college and career booths and workshops to improve ourselves as people. I personally really enjoyed the workshop that I attended with our chapter’s Vice President, Ava Stephenson, and our chapter’s Treasurer, LilyAnn Broere. We learned how to identify problems in our community, come up with solutions to those problems, and eventually share those solutions. For us, this workshop sparked new ideas about how to better serve our community.
I would have to say that the most fun day, however, was the third day. On the third day, we toured a John Deere building and were given the opportunity to attend a rodeo. In my humble opinion, the rodeo was spectacular. It was truly more entertaining than I first thought it was going to be.
I interviewed Mt. Vernon at Fortville’s FFA Vice President, Sophomore Ava Stephenson, to see what her thoughts were
on the National Convention.
Q: “How did you make it to this point in FFA?”
“I made it to this point with my dedication and hard work. I did not stop trying to improve myself and continued working to try and help the chapter and community.”
Q: “How has FFA affected your life?”
“FFA has opened up so many things in my life. I have had opportunities to become a better leader and a better person. I’ve learned so many things that have opened me up to new opportunities.”
Q: “What was your favorite part about the National Convention?”
“My favorite part of national convention was the opportunity I got to spend time with new people and go to workshops that could better help our school and community as a whole.”
Q: “Is there anything else you would like people to know about FFA?”
“FFA is a great opportunity to learn new things and get yourself out there and do hands-on experiences that you don’t get to do on a regular basis.”
Overall, the FFA National Convention was something that I am glad I was able to experience. I enjoyed taking photos, learning new things and seeing people from all over the United States of America. At one point, I even saw a group of students from Hawaii. I do not consider myself to be much of a farmer, but I still enjoy FFA as a whole. It is a very nice community to be a part of.