Around the end of every October, Sierra FFA typically sends some of their esteemed members to attend the National FFA Convention and Expo. This year, the city of Indianapolis, Indiana hosted this momentous event. Fifteen members attended the convention this year, some to compete, one to get his American Degree, and some to experience this occasion. The fifteen included: Cody Heirendt, Kathleen Marsh, Kennedy Newton, Shane Wyman, Bowen Kehn, Macy Myers, Juliana Sullivan, Kelsey Mehling, Daygan Cross, Brian Austin, Justin Dement, Austin Dudley- Nelson, Seth Chrisman, Alissa Hastie, and Josh Markos.
Last school year, Sierra FFA had one team and one individual win their competition at the state level. This qualified them to be able to compete at the National level to represent California. Alissa Hastie won the Prepared Public Speaking state competition, so she took some time off of college to attend the National competition. This competition includes the competitor choosing one of many provided agricultural topics, writing an 8 to 10 minute speech on the topic, memorizing it, presenting it to a panel of judges, and answering 5 minutes of open questioning on it. She introduced to the judges an amazing speech on water conservation and the comparison of water usage in California to her new home, Illinois. She swept the competition in her first round, and she advanced on to the semi- finals. This was composed of the top 16 Prepared Public Speaking competitors in the nation. After being placed in a competitive room, Alissa was cut. She was very well prepared, and represented Sierra FFA well. They wish her luck in her future endeavors. Also, last year’s Natural Resources team won their state competition. This team was comprised of: Alissa Hastie, Carson LeBoeuf, Frankie Sanchez, and Shane Wyman. Alissa was unable to compete due to her other competition; and Frankie and Carson couldn't take the time off of college to attend. Due to this, three current FFA members took their place to compete. The new team was made up of: Kennedy Newton, Kathleen Marsh, Cody Heirendt, and Shane Wyman. This competition consisted of: an exam, an oral presentation on an agricultural issue, identification of native species, a written response to an agricultural issue, and the demonstration of various practicums. Individually, Kennedy Newton was ranked as a bronze individual, Kathleen Marsh was a silver individual, and Cody Heirendt and Shane were gold level individuals. In the team rankings, California made it into 12th place. The team demonstrated great teamwork, and amazing presentation abilities. The convention went great with only one minor hitch when the members got stuck in an elevator. Then the members visited cherished landmarks such as the Indy 500 race track and the Sailors and Soldiers monument in the middle of Indiana. The convention worked in conjunction with various businesses to give members other entertainment options. The events that were attended by Sierra FFA included: a Cole Swindell concert, Cinch’s World’s Toughest Rodeo, and a hypnotist show by the amazing Jim Wand. These turned out to be the highlight of the trip when two of the Natural Resources members volunteered to get hypnotised. The convention was ended with the American Degree Ceremony, the American Degree is the highest degree the FFA can bestow upon its members. Sierra FFA would like to congratulate Bowen Kehn for his exemplary work ethic in the acquiring of his American Degree. This convention wouldn’t have gone as well as it did without the efforts of family members, friends, local businesses, and supporters of the FFA. Thank you especially to Sierra Ag boosters, the Sierra Foundation, and the Sierra Unified School District.
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