Clayton Saeugling, Garrett Schwanke, Nate Moen, Lexi Freund, Haley Carlson, Emily Saeugling, Cale Pellett

The Atlantic FFA loaded up seven members and one advisor and headed off to Louisville, Kentucky this past week to attend the 88th National FFA Convention and Expo! The group which included seniors Haley Carlson, Clayton Saeugling and Garrett Schwanke, Juniors Nate Moen and Lexi Freund and sophomores Emily Saeugling and Cale Pellett along with advisor Eric Miller left Tuesday, October 27th to head down. With a 13 hour drive over, the chapter went out to eat and explored the hotel before turning in for the night.

Wednesday marked the first day of the National FFA Convention and the Atlantic FFA started it off at the Louisville Slugger Museum. Here, members toured the factory and learned the history, evolution, and even processing of these bats. Members were also able to witness history as fresh bats were carted by to be shipped off to be used in the World Series! Everyone received a miniature baseball bat of their own after the tour.

Finally the time had come where the Atlantic FFA made its appearance at the 88th National FFA Convention around mid-afternoon. There, the chapter attended the first general session where officers gave reflections on the convention.. During this session, FFA members heard from an inspirational speaker that goes by the name of Rick Rigsby. Dr. Rigsby speech entailed many humorous, but also sad stories that all incorporate leadership and doing what’s morally right. This motivational speaker was a great way to end the first general session.

Thursday morning the FFA members spent the day at the Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby. The Atlantic FFA took a tour of the racetrack and learned about derby history. Inside the museum FFA members got to see all different types of derby wear and history. Also a oval room was set up to watch a movie about a day at the derby.

The morning continued to expo center, which is the size of five football fields and filled with 450 exhibitors that represent colleges, agriculture, US armed services, auto & truck companies, and fundraising. At noon, the Atlantic FFA gathered for the Iowa picture. This picture is a group photo of all the FFA members that attend national convention from the state of Iowa. Also Atlantic FFA attended the second round of the talent competition where 15 solo or group acts performed their musical talents. The chapter also stayed for the third general session, where the main event was the Stars of America pageant. The pageant includes special “Star” recognitions such as American Star Farmers or Stars in Agribusiness. These are individuals who have exceeded the expectations of others in the various categories.

On Friday, the group created their own tour in a way, for the reason that a tour through one of the many caves in Kentucky was cancelled due to excessive rain. After driving around for a short amount of time, one member suggested driving through the Burnheim National Forest and exploring it for themselves. In the forest, there were many “nature trails,” and walking paths to see the beauty of the landscape. After exiting the forest, the Atlantic FFA made their way to the Jim Beam distillery, where another self-given tour was presented to the group by their own advisor, Mr. Miller. The last place the Atlantic FFA went was the General George S. Patton Museum on Fort Knox. After touring the museum and taking a picture in front of a tank used in the Army, members went back to the convention center to hear Caleb Gustin give his retiring address, as well as listen to Brad Montague, creator of the series “Kid President” on Youtube. His speech was about promoting the world to do awesome things through easy and fun ways.

Haley Carlson, Lexi Freund, Emily Saeugling, Nate Moen, Cale Pellett, Garrett Schwanke, Clayton Saeugling

Saturday at the 8th session 4 Atlantic FFA members earned their American FFA Degree. Kristin Johnk, Chancey Richards, Wyatt Saeugling and Tucker Sager each walked across the stage to receive the Golden Key of the FFA, the highest award ever granted in the organization. After waving goodbye to Louisville around 10:30 a.m., the journey home had begun. Two stops were made along the way for food plus one at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, which is currently being renovated. Some members decided that five minutes of swaying 630 feet in the air from the wind was enough, so everyone packed up and got back on the road again.

The Atlantic FFA returned home at about 10:30 p.m. full of memories and fresh ideas on how to better their chapter. All members and even advisor Mr. Miller can agree in the saying that they took something very positive away from this event.

Senior, Haley Carlson said, “The 88th National FFA Convention continued to fuel my passion for agriculture in hopes of achieving my goals of state office someday. I got to reconnect with old friends and make many new ones. My favorite part was getting the chance to talk with state and national officers before sessions. I learned about the agriculture opportunities around the country. What sticks with me the most is that anyone, no matter who you are or where you come from, can wear the blue and corduroy jacket.”

Sophomore, Emily Saeugling said, “My first national convention was a really cool experience. I’m excited for the opportunities in FFA and I am really glad I had this experience.”