By Jennifer Britt
The 94th Annual National FFA Convention and Expo was held in Indianapolis, Indiana October 27 through 31 in 2021. Among the expected 55,000 attendees for the convention were Tucker County High School students. Paul Pennington, FFA Advisor, led his group of students on what he explained as a learning experience for both him and his students. Pennington explained the plan was to rent a house for the weekend excursion. When plans fell through, he and his students opted to rent hotel rooms at the convention. Not only did the students get to interact with other students from other counties in West Virginia but also from across the United States.
The students were able to mingle, share stories, and make new friends. Emily Snyder expressed her favorite part as being able to look over all the people in attendance and know they were all there with the same interest.
Kiley Hebb when addressing the School Board stated her favorite part was the rodeo that was hosted at the convention. Hebb had never been to one and was excited to see one in person. Hebb had such an amazing time her brother, Kaiden Hebb, joined FFA and will be attending next year’s convention.
Zada Carr also favored the opportunity to meet new people and share a sense of comradely with fellow students. The members also learned from other attendees different techniques they can apply. Whether it was how another county raises farm animals or grows certain vegetables, the members were able to pull from that knowledge and use it for their own studies. College recruits were also on-site and able to talk with students about their future goals.
FFA stands for Future Farmers of America, but what is the meaning behind the title. FFA is about teaching young students how to be self-efficient and great leaders. It is not just about farming or raising farm animals. It also welcomes members who aspire to be teachers, doctors, scientists, business owners and more. The National FFA is committed to each individual student, providing a path of achievement in leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.
Pennington says his goal for his students is to be self-sufficient while giving them work experiences they can use, if they choose, later in life. Pennington teaches his students also how to make something out of nothing. These members work hard doing everything from growing and butchering chickens to growing strawberries and using a computerized wood cutter.
Pennington plans to take students in the 2022-2023 school year to the next convention but says this time he will make better plans and more stops to see some of the amazing things along the journey.