Fair Grove FFA members are preparing for the annual upcoming events in the 2023-2024 season. The National FFA Convention is taking place on November 1st – 4th in Indianapolis, Indiana.
As the school year pushes on into the fall semester, the Fair Grove FFA club has been getting ready to learn and have fun at the club’s major upcoming events. The largest of these events is the National FFA Convention. This is the biggest event happening during the fall season.
The National Convention is a way for FFA members across the country to come together in Indianapolis to learn, have fun, and compete against one another. Only the best of the best FFA members are allowed to attend this massive event. Members must earn a chance through state competitions and rankings in order to be selected for Indianapolis.
This year, the Fair Grove FFA chapter had ten members qualify to receive a spot while eight of which are actually attending. Kolton Stevens (12) is the club’s vice president and is one of the students planning on participating on the trip. Stevens is looking forward to this chance to attend, explaining that, “I’m excited to finally have the opportunity to be able to attend the national convention for the first time in my FFA career.”
Stevens has been a prominent member of the Fair Grove FFA club for years. Last year he was the FFA Chapter Treasurer and was also involved in competitions. Stevens competed in livestock judging last season, getting 7th place in the district competition, and 20th place at state. This solidified his chance to reach the convention in Indianapolis.
Another member who has been working hard in the FFA community is the club president Alyssa Snitker (12). As the president, Snitker resides over Fair Grove chapter meetings and leads the FFA officer team. She also has earned a chance to go to Indianapolis through her competitive performances.
Snitker has been an active member for years and is grateful for the knowledge she has learned during her time in the club. She said, “From learning basic skills to developing my leadership skills, I have learned so much. I’ve made so many new friendships along the way and I truly enjoy all of the events we are so fortunate to go to.”
Sache Dowling (10) is another active member and officer in the FFA club. Currently, she is the club reporter and helps to ensure that FFA events run smoothly. Dowling attended the National Convention from last year, saying that her, “…favorite FFA memory has to be going to the 2022 National Convention because we got to travel with a bunch of my friends and meet a ton of kids from different chapters across the country.”
The students who are attending the trip will have a busy schedule once they arrive. Snitker explains, “…while we are there we will be going to the different sessions, college and career fair, and this year we will also get to see Lainey Wilson.”
After the National Convention, the FFA club will continue to prepare for the competitive season in the spring.
