The Buffalo Island Central FFA (Future Farmers of America) student organization officers were fortunate enough to attend the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana in late October. Eight students—-four boys and four girls—-attended the event which focused on leadership and agricultural careers.

During the 4 days spent there, the team participated in many team-bonding activities. They also discussed plans for the rest of the year, some of which include: ways to get more members involved, having full member meetings once a month, and beginning to prepare for the auction upon their homecoming.

When the officer team arrived at the convention center, they checked in and received their assigned name tags. After spending some time at the shopping center, the expo center opened. It consisted of several activities for members to enjoy as well as free ice cream. Colleges from all across the states prepared booths and information to pass on to curious seniors. The team then attended the opening ceremony for the 94th annual FFA National Convention. The national officers gave stories about how they started in FFA and what got them to this point. They had a guest speaker as well, Courtney DeHoff, who gave an inspiring speech about growing up in agriculture.

Bruce Fires, the FFA administrator, went on to say, “The most beneficial part of the trip was that our students came to realize that they are not the only ones in FFA and that there are several members from Alaska to Puerto Rico and Maine to the Virgin Islands. We had a great trip and I hope that our officers came together as a team and have some ideas to help improve our chapter this year.”

Fellow officer, Hank Hurst, described a few of his favorite aspects about the trip. “This trip is one I definitely won’t forget. We got the opportunity to bond as a team, and even jumped into a lake in cold weather. I also didn’t realize how many agricultural programs that were offered in colleges in the country. As a sophomore, I will get to go again my senior year to make more memories and gain even more agricultural knowledge. All in all, I feel like this experience brought me closer to my fellow officers and has prepared me for what is to come in the future.”

Buffalo Island Central FFA has been supported by their community for many years. Every spring, they hold an auction to raise money for their program. The money raised this past year also went towards helping the officer team go to convention. The FFA would not be able to thrive without the continued support and gratitude shown by the community.