The 95th National FFA Convention & Expo celebrated the diverse range of FFA members, their interests and accomplishments through the FFA For All Experience, hosted in the Expo Hall. Over 500 members and guests were in attendance and took part in a wide variety of activities and entertainment, a panel discussion, prizes and more. Take a look inside the celebration.
Past national officer Artha Jonassaint, pictured here, hosted the FFA For All Experience. The event lasted two hours and welcomed members into both the organization and the 95th National FFA Convention & Expo.
The goals of the event sought to:
*Emphasize the importance of having a truly diverse range of identities in FFA and agriculture.
*Create community among future leaders who believe in a fair and inclusive agriculture industry.
*And offer all students an opportunity to learn more about each other and engage in dialogue.
Members began the evening with all-in bingo as a way to get to know each other. In order to have a completed card, members had to find a wide array of individuals, from those who live in a city to those who had never been to convention before. Once their card was completed, they could turn it in for prizes.
As members completed their cards and throughout the entirety of the evening, members engaged with corporate sponsors. Here, Aaron Wetzel, vice president of small ag & turf systems for John Deere, speaks with FFA members.
Two National FFA Talent acts performed during the event. The first act was a conjunto (a small musical band or group) from Texas called La Fortaleza that played traditional Mexican music.
The performance offered all attendees an opportunity to hear a potentially different style of music. See the next slide for the reaction.
After students got comfortable with each other (thanks to the bingo and the music), they warmed up with some dancing to La Fortleza’s music.
“We [listened to] music from Texas, and it was some of the music in [my own] roots,” said Sofía Muñiz, a member of the Antonio Romero Muñiz FFA in Puerto Rico. “We met people in an event promoting diversity, equity, and inclusivity – and I felt that.”
The evening kicked off with guest speaker Ian Smith, coordinator of Junior MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences.
Afterwards, students watched a live discussion from a panel of agriculturalists discussing their careers in agriculture, pictured here. Panelists spoke about their career paths, their backgrounds in agriculture, their ideal qualities in the professional workplace and more.
Some speakers had college degrees in areas other than ag but work in the ag field and explained how they got involved in the industry and why everyone is a valuable asset.
Speakers included:
*Jasmine Locklear, associate program officer, Native American Agriculture Fund
*Chris Danner, supply chain rotational associate with BOSC (Business Operations Supply Chain) at Cargill
*Bailey Rayford, CEO, Kendal Logan Logistics
*Travis Hinton, supervisor, PV&V engineering, John Deere
Shea Cencula from the Linganore FFA Chapter of Maryland, pictured here, performed an Irish dance after the panel. Cencula was the second National FFA Talent performance of the experience.
The evening showcased different aspects of cultures in order to ensure representation and create community among all students, regardless of their backgrounds.
