Bullard FFA officers attend National FFA Convention

Bullard FFA chapter officers and sponsors recently attended the 2022 National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana. The FFA Convention brings together students from all over the country to grow their leadership skills and learn more about the agricultural industry.

BHS senior Landyn Kidd said the trip provided great learning experiences for the officer team and each student. "I felt like it was a great team bonding experience," Landyn said. "Not only did we learn how to better ourselves as a team, but we also learned to better ourselves as individuals. We learned how great leadership can impact others and how we can use it to our advantage. I believe we have better leadership skills now than ever."

The crew left Monday, October 24, from Mineola by way of an Amtrak train. It arrived in Chicago, IL, on Tuesday, where the group enjoyed some Chicago deep-dish pizza before jumping back on for the last trek to Indianapolis. 

The convention began Wednesday, October 26. Along with attending informational sessions, the group learned about FFA's rich history and heard from motivational keynote speakers. 

Friday included visiting Butler University to tour its Center for Urban Ecology and Sustainability. Students learned about Butler's mission to be environmentally conscious and develop sustainable urban agriculture. Throughout the week, students also had the opportunity to visit with other colleges and all five military branches.

"It was an honor to have the opportunity to attend the National FFA Convention," BHS sophomore Chayton McCurley said. "I was able to be in an arena with 65,000 other FFA members from all over the nation who have the same passion for FFA. I learned a variety of things, like the importance of crop rotation while touring Butler University. The experience inspired me to experiment with the crop rotation myself."

Bullard FFA students and staff returned on Sunday, October 30. 

"It was a jammed packed week for our Bullard FFA Officers," FFA sponsor Jamie Dildine said. We learned and gained many new ideas that we can implement here in Bullard with our chapter."