Indianapolis, Ind., (Tuesday, March 11, 2025) – The National FFA Organization, the nation’s premier school-based student leadership organization with over one million members, recently hosted its first Next Gen Conference of the year in Orlando, Florida, from March 4-8. Next Gen Conferences help FFA student members map out future career opportunities in agriculture. This conference brought 75 high school sophomores, juniors and seniors together to experience plant science careers and companies through informational sessions, roundtable discussions, and tours. Next Gen conferences are one impactful way FFA prepares students for the more than 350 careers in agriculture, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to make their best next steps after high school graduation.

The Next Gen Conference: Plant Systems tour locations around Orlando included:

• Wekiwa Gardens Greenhouse
• Scott’s Miracle Gro Research Lab
• Showcase of Citrus
• Cherrylake Tree Farm

“It’s always a privilege watching students attend Next Gen Conferences as they are eager to learn, network and grow,” said Joe Martin, program specialist, advocacy, literacy & ag-based experiences, National FFA Organization. “Once the conference is over, they’re even more empowered to continue equipping themselves with the skills they need to pursue their own individual goals.”

The 75 students selected to participate were chosen from a competitive applicant pool. Students were asked to share about their Supervised Agricultural Experience, the work-based learning portion of agricultural education that applies concepts learned in the classroom to internships or entrepreneurship. Supervised Agricultural Experiences of students who attended the conference included landscape installation placements, greenhouse management, vegetable production, and nursery operations.

The following 75 high school students were selected to attend the conference in Orlando through a competitive application process.

Alaska
Liam Wade
California
Kimberly Mercado-Frausto
Florida
Angelisse Thomson
Louis Bentley
Iowa
Savannah Flores
Alaina Hartl
McKinley Otto
Chase Sorenson
Idaho
Paislie Lancaster
Lucy Smith
Lillian Bremer
Brandon Little
Illinois
Emma Howell
Addison Nowlan
Alex Joos
Aidan Unhold
Kurt Zimmerman
Indiana
Kaitlyn Maruszewski
Brooklyn Rasche
Alexis Tenuta
Lexi Fuhrman
Tyler Bense
Kansas
Lauryn Caviness
Addilyn Lefferd
Kentucky
Madison Young
Nathan Crumbley
Louisiana
Maggie Phelan
Minnesota
Holly Hughes
Leya Anderson
Gabby Epple
Chloe Kieser
Caleb Michels
Missouri
Ada Mabary
Owen Barber
Landon Pottebaum
Montana
Joel Standley
North Carolina
Kaitlyn Woodell
North Dakota
Brooklyn Miller
Hudson Due
Nebraska
Esther VanOverbeke
Ohio
Katie Reed
Taylor Johnson
Eden Myers
Ben Bracher
Hunter Guenther
Oklahoma
Kaitlyn Knauss
Greer Lucas
Oregon
Robert Harris
Pennsylvania
Veronica Hummel
South Carolina
Blake Arias
Tennessee
Miracle Brown
Olivia See
Madilynn Shackelton
Abby Woodward
Ariana Mota Carrillo
Riley Adsmond
Washington
Haley Soto-Aguirre
Kinzey Appleford
Dane Booth
Wisconsin
Lauren Weed
Carolynn Backes
Mallory Braun
Gracy Fox
Elli Johanek
Jordan Berg
Reese Cherney
Rebecca Konkel
Trinity Popp
Magdalena Moehn
Hannah Yeager
Blake Mertens
West Virginia
Emma Quick
Emma Stalnaker
Wyoming
Garrett Plaggemeyer

Next Gen Conferences occur three times a year to prepare the next generation of leaders who will feed, fuel, clothe, and sustain the world through educational and career exploration opportunities that set them up for success after graduation.

To learn more about the National FFA Organization, visit www.ffa.org, and to learn more about the Next Gen Conference, visit www.ffa.org/participate/next-generation-conference. The next conference will take place in June in Pennsylvania and will be focused on agricultural education.

The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 1,027,200 student members as part of 9,235 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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About National FFA Organization
The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 1,027,200 student members as part of 9,235 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online at FFA.org and on Facebook and Twitter.

About National FFA Foundation
The National FFA Foundation builds partnerships with industry, education, government, other foundations, and individuals to secure financial resources that recognize FFA member achievements, develop student leaders, and support the future of agricultural education. Governed by a 19-member board of trustees composed of educators, business leaders, individual donors and FFA Alumni, the foundation is a separately registered nonprofit organization. About 82 percent of every dollar received by the foundation supports FFA members and agricultural education opportunities. For more, visit FFA.org/Give.