One leadership development event (LDE) held a special place in the heart of former LDE judge and FFA supporter Dan Nafziger: the agricultural issues forum. After his passing, Nafziger’s family created the Dan Nafziger Memorial Endowment Fund to provide annual scholarships to the top 16 FFA chapters competing in the national agricultural issues forum.
“I vividly remember my dad coming home after volunteering with FFA-related events or running into FFA members,” recalls his son, Derek Nafziger. “He was immensely impressed by the drive, intelligence and integrity of everyone in FFA he encountered.”
This year, members of the Iroquois FFA Chapter in Iroquois, S.D. (pictured above), used the endowment’s generous donations to cover travel, lodging, and other expenses – something that, according to chapter advisor Breanna Mueller, may not have otherwise been possible.
“In order to attend convention, most of our members place that financial responsibility on themselves and their families,” Mueller says. “It was really exciting to be selected for the endowment because it meant that our members, who have worked on this project for over a year, were able to be rewarded for their hard work.”
The Hermiston FFA agricultural issues forum LDE team is recognized at the 94th National FFA Convention & Expo.
The endowment also opened doors for FFA members in Hermiston, Ore., to take advantage of additional experiential learning opportunities. Hermiston FFA advisor Sandy McKay says his team was able to gain firsthand knowledge on their selected presentation topic – vertical farming – prior to competing. On their way to Indianapolis for convention, the chapter toured several vertical farms in the Chicago area.
“This was really the first time our members were able to physically see and speak with people who run these types of operations,” added McKay. “It made a huge difference in their preparation for the contest, especially during the Q&A section, and improved their ability to provide complete, coherent and well thought out answers based on the information we received.”
At this week’s 94th National FFA Convention & Expo, both teams’ hard work paid off. The Hermiston chapter received third place overall, and Iroquois FFA earned a silver rating.
In light of these accomplishments, the endowment’s overarching mission remains the same. It strives to continue carrying on Nafziger’s legacy and ensure FFA members have the ability to showcase their skills on the national stage.
