Story by Sydney Anthony, Contributing writer
Fourteen students from Murray State’s Hutson School of Agriculture were among the 64,000 students from across the nation to attend the 89th National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Convention and Expo held in Indianapolis from Oct. 19 through 22.
FFA is a youth organization committed to promoting career success through agriculture education.
Shelby Gore, junior from Eminence, Indiana, said she was a timekeeper for the National Creed Speaking Competition, and she also made sure students didn’t omit or add words to the FFA Creed.
This is the fourth year Murray State has helped with the National Creed Speaking Competition at the National Convention and Expo.
“Being an agriculture education major and having this opportunity has helped me understand what I need to prepare my students to know for future competitions as I will be an FFA advisor,” Gore said.
Mason Larimore, junior from La Grange, Kentucky, said she was also a timekeeper and accuracy checker for two preliminary, semifinal and final rounds of the National Creed Speaking Competition.
“Being afforded the opportunity to work with FFA members just confirms my chosen career path and helps strengthen my passion for agriculture,” Larimore said.
Megan Terry, junior from Shepherdsville, Kentucky, said that she worked with the National FFA at the “We are FFA” booth at the convention each day from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“‘We are FFA’ is a section of FFA that celebrates diversity in FFA and agriculture,” Terry said. “The students took a poll about bullying, watched an empowering video, wrote about acts of kindness that they could show and described what being an FFA member meant to them.”
Terry said that the goal of the booth was to remind students that they are leaders, and through their leadership they are able to show kindness to their peers.
“It is so awesome to meet so many young people from all different backgrounds and cultures who all share a common interest of agriculture and growing as leaders,” Terry said. “I suggest anyone who ever gets the chance to go to National FFA Convention to go because it will truly reassure your hope in the future of America and agriculture.”