INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, Jan. 23, 2023/National FFA Organization) – To kick off 2023, 75 current and former state FFA Officers visited Costa Rica to learn about the various types of agriculture in the country.

State officers traveled the country experiencing CATIE, the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center; the Tibas Farmers Market; La Paz Waterfall Gardens; a palmito plantation; pineapple plantation; wildlife reserve center; Arenal Volcano; the rainforest; an organic farm and much more.

The experience, International Leadership Seminar for State Officers, ILSSO, was thanks to support from FFA corporate donors John Deere and Bunge.

FFA members who participated in the experience include:

Reese Mitchell and William Blankenship from Arkansas; Tyson Schneider from Colorado; Robert Eselby from Connecticut; Trinity Ranshaw from Delaware; Austin Holcomb, Carleigh Newsom, Tyler Laib, Addie Ferguson, Abby Kruse, Anelise Bullard, Laken Troup of Florida; Katelyn Schaefer and Annie Bower of Iowa; Mackenzie Malson and Elizabeth Shaw of Idaho; Kirsten Kyger, Karlie Albright, Cali Newdigger, Aidan Yoho and Emma Kepley of Kansas; Emma Sherman of Kentucky; Lauren Poole, Annie Heard of Louisiana; Teagan Flaherty, Kendall Abruzzese and Hannah Haines of Maryland; Patricia Hebenstreit and Olivia Coffey of Michigan; Emily Matejka of Minnesota; Riley Larson of Montana; Madeline Kluttz and Elizabeth Espino of North Carolina; Dustin Andreasen, Faith Miller, Emelia Rourke, and Elizabeth Wilkins of Nebraska; Roland Norris of Nevada; Aubrey Schwartz, Luke Jennings, Aly Murphy, Graham Carson, Kennedy Short, Dalton Mullins, Katherine Oestreich and Hannah Saum of Ohio; Kinsley Kemble, Brekkan Richardson, Grant Hills, Maddie Dollarhide, Jessie Samarin, Uriel Aguilar Torres of Oregon; Trinity Peterson, Tessa Erdmann and Hadley Stiefvater of South Dakota; Taylor Cantrell of Tennessee; Savannah Goodwin, Jordan Petrie, Makenna Garrett, Emily Jenkins, Elizabeth Bates, Jill Reiter, Carly Thomas, Gabriella Martin and Katherine Powell of Virginia; Esther Grosz, Pedro Mendoza Zamora, Madison Weber and Lillian McGregor of Washington; Garrett Ammons, Rylee Brown, Creed Ammons and Caroline Greenleaf of West Virginia and Bree Coxbill of Wyoming.

The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 850,000 student members as part of 8,995 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 850,000 student members as part of 8,995 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.