Pierce FFA Attends National FFA convention
by Victoria Orona
On Tuesday, October 23, Mr. Matthew Neal, along six Pierce FFA members, took a trip to Indianapolis, Indiana, for the 2018 National FFA convention. FFA members included seniors Michael Polt and Kendra Schulz, junior Carter Jensen, Sophomore Rebecca Albrecht, and freshmen Kelton Anderson and Brody Nuesch.
The group arrived on Wednesday, October 24th. They were able to attend a Garth Brooks concert that night. The following day the group attended the FFA mall area where vendors provided various merchandise that members were able to buy. They attended the Career Fair as well as breakout sessions. The breakout sessions that Pierce members attended included “Adulting 101” where they heard about making smart and mature decisions.
While in Indianapolis, Mr. Neal tried to get members to eat the local cuisine to try new things. On Friday, members from multiple chapters went to Gleaner’s food bank and helped pack food into boxes to help people in need from the local area. They also attended a few tours in the area. This year they attended a John Deere tour.
Mr. Neal encourages young FFA members to come along because “They don't realize the scale of FFA until Nationals. This year there were over 65 thousand people there, including some of the biggest industry executives and companies representing agriculture as well as the agriculture universities. And the President of the United States spoke at the last general session.
Among President Trump’s comments were these: "You are amazing people. Your time in the FFA, in the field, in the farm, in the land and in the classroom has not only prepared you for a stellar, great career in something you love, it's taught you essential truths about life and about the world in which we live. You know that success only comes through hard work and perseverance."
The FFA website says, “For over 90 years, the National FFA Convention & Expo has united members to demonstrate and celebrate their accomplishments and inspire their individual futures. With 67,000+ attendees, this event remains one of the world’s largest student conventions.”
Mr. Neal commented on the how disliked the long drive is, but that everyone enjoys going in the end.
