National Convention

Two weeks ago I was given an amazing opportunity through the Northeast FFA chapter to attend the 92nd National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis. For those who do not know, FFA is an extracurricular organization for students interested in agriculture and leadership. The official name of the group is the National FFA Organization. Some might know it just as FFA, which used to stand for Future Farmers of America. This was changed in 1988 because the FFA also welcomes members who aspire to careers as teachers, doctors, scientists, business owners, and more. Not only are we future farmers, we are future biologist, future chemist, future veterinarians, and future entrepreneurs.

The National FFA Convention and Expo is a four-day event held in Indianapolis every October. This is a premier gathering during which all FFA competitive events and programs are recognized nationally. This year almost 70,000 people attended the 92nd National FFA Convention and Expo. While there, FFA members could participate in leadership workshops, visit the career show, and listen to several amazing public speakers. From a student standpoint, I believe that National Convention is something all FFA members should attend. I had the chance to meet people from almost every state. I got to meet back up with old friends I meet at other conferences including the Washington Leadership Conference I attended this past summer. I also had the chance to talk with industry leaders and universities across the country about future careers and educational opportunities. I even ran into one of the representatives from the University of Tennessee that we worked with this past summer while at the ARSBC Conference.

All in all, FFA is an amazing organization that I am proud to be a part of. It is not everyday you go out to make hundreds of new lifelong friends from all over the United States!



~Kesley Holdgrafer