DHS FFA members attended the 98th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis during the last week of October. FFA stands for Future Farmers of America. FFA is an intracurricular student organization for those interested in agriculture and leadership. It is one of the three components of agricultural education. The National FFA Organization remains committed to the individual student, providing a path to achievement in premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.  

Brekken Hildreth and Zane Knight discussed what they liked about the experience. Both stated that Samantha. Diaz, the Delta High School FFA Advisor, did a great job of keeping them on a schedule that wasn’t overwhelming.   

They took part in a workshop called “Stepping out of your Box” with keynote speaker A’ric Jackson. Basically, the speech covered doing things outside your comfort zone and overcoming obstacles. “Every situation is what you make of it,” said Hildreth. 

The students also experienced many tours and talks. Most of the talks were for career readiness.   Hildreth said her favorite part was the address given by the retiring officers.  Most workshops were about career readiness.  A lot of them focused on SAEs, which stands for Supervised Agricultural Experience. They both enjoyed meeting like-minded kids from across the nation. 

“The expo hall was so full of vendors, there was no way to see everything,” said Hildreth. Her favorite vendor was New Mexico State University. They had a lot to say about her chosen career field.  Knight said his favorite vendor was the welding simulator, as that is what he wants to become. 

In addition to convention activities, they went to Indy Scream Park on Halloween, and that was fun. Hildreth said she would maybe make the trip a day shorter, as they started getting homesick.  

Hildreth stated it wasn’t hard for her to catch up after missing a week of school, as there wasn’t much going on in her classes.   She was able to get caught up in a short time.  She also stated that she did try to get some of her homework done while on the trip.  Both said the trip was worth it and that they would recommend their fellow FFA members attend next year. 

Knight said, “I liked the vibe of the whole convention.”  He said he would highly recommend it, as it also prepares you for college interviews.   

Hildreth said, “The trip was great.”