FFA  is a program that, according to its website, “makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.” 

Oct. 26-29, the 95th annual FFA convention was held in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Several of our peers attended this event.  

Junior Caiden Mitchell says that the convention brought in people from all over.

“It’s a convention where all the FFA members in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands all get together and just talk about what FFA means to them,” Mitchell said.

Every FFA officer has a role, and each leader serves a purpose to further help the team succeed and grow.

“I’m the historian, so I keep a record of all the events we do throughout the year. At the convention, I was there to figure out what FFA was because this is my first year in FFA and as an officer,” Mitchell said.   

He was surprised by the diversity present at the FFA convention. 

“I was surprised by how different all the FFA members are. I didn’t expect there to be people from the Virgin Islands there, and people traveled really, really far just to go there.”

This convention will carry these students into the future with the skills they learned and the people they met.

Mitchell learned, “to appreciate agriculture and farmers in general. We wouldn’t be anywhere in America without farmers.”

Senior Cole Fortin is a FFA officer who also attended the convention.

His role in FFA is as “the sentinel, so I’m the one who keeps the room calm and helps maintain order during meetings”

Fortin was shocked to see that “there were 67,000 people there.”

The event left a lasting impression.

“Everybody has a different story, but it has all led everybody to the same place. It has opened my eyes to see people really do FFA,” Fortin said.