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Visiting State Officer Bring Valuable Leadership Perspectives to Convention Workshops
Saturday, July 20, 2024 | Author: Arianna Sandley, Meridian FFA
Visiting state officers from across the nation shared their wisdom with members attending the 96th Annual Texas FFA Convention. Individuals from Oregon, Ohio, Kentucky, Arkansas, Georgia, and Illinois conducted workshops that added value to the event experience.
”I delivered a workshop on the Domino Effect,” said Kentucky FFA Vice President Presleigh Jennings. “It was about being the positive impact because you never know what somebody around you is going through.”
Reese Mitchell, the 2022-2023 Arkansas FFA President, gave two workshops. The first one, Who We Are is How We Lead, discussed how we should take time to reflect on ourselves and our core values. Her other workshop, Deep in the Heart of Texas, offered a unique perspective on personal development.
”We get to go through challenges just like stars have to go through pressure to become what they are,” Mitchel said.
In addition to visiting state officers, Emily Gossett, the 2023-2024 National FFA Western Region Vice President, held a workshop titled Failing Forward. It focused on how failure is not necessarily bad; it's all about how you view it.
"We have to change our mindset about failure, and so students really get to dive into their definition of failure and how they can change their own perspective," Gossett stated.
Kylie Temple and her teammate Jael Cruikshank from Oregon FFA facilitated a workshop called Be Better. In it, they discussed how there are always opportunities to be the best version of yourself.
"It's not about necessarily striving for perfection because that just is not realistic," said Temple. "But how can we be continuous learners, learn from our failures, trust the process, and also appreciate others' wisdom?"
Due to weather limitations, Thaddeus Bergschneider from Illinois FFA could not attend the event. However, Luke Jennings facilitated their scheduled workshop, Winner Takes All, and his workshop, Conversation with Ease. In his workshops, he covered how to best talk and advocate for agriculture.
"It's about how we can have difficult conversations related to agriculture because we know that advocating is going to ensure the future of our industry," said Jennings. "Learning how to do this is super vital for FFA members."
With Texas FFA being the largest association in the United States, the annual convention typically looks different from other states; everything from attendance size to the venue.
"We hold ours on fairgrounds, so there are lots of different buildings within," said Oregon's Cruikshank, "Things are more spread out."
"Ours is a short convention," said Luke Jennings from Ohio FFA. "We have six sessions over two days."
With the differences come many similarities. Ultimately, each state's annual convention celebrates the success of its members and provides an opportunity for additional development.
All of the Texas FFA Convention workshops were filled with Texas FFA members who were ecstatic to hear and learn from individuals from across the country. The visiting officers were just as thrilled to get to know members from the Lone Star State.
"One thing about Texas FFA is that it will come out on top because of the community that it has," Gosset stated, "I'm just grateful to have been brought into the community; it's been an amazing experience."
Photos by: Andrew Johnson, Spring Branch FFA, Baylee Gray, Woodson FFA and Uplift Imaging
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