Alexis Boes & Emily Sauegling

Alexis & Emily

Alexis Boes and Emily Saeugling had the most amazing opportunity attending Washington Leadership Conference June 20th-26th, made possible by many generous donations from our community. Their experience in Washington D.C. was filled with memories that will last a lifetime and knowledge that will aide them in and out of the FFA organization. Alexis and Emily were able to meet new people and explore new places while gaining new information and leadership skills from the WLC facilitators and sessions at the conference. Washington Leadership Conference is a one of kind opportunity and while they can give you a glimpse into the week they had in Washington D.C., to get the full story, one must experience it for themselves.

At the beginning of their week, Alexis and Emily each loaded onto one of the two buses filled with other Iowa FFA members who would also be attending the conference. Roughly 24 hours later they stepped off into Washington D.C. with a huge group of new friends and an appreciation for real beds, clean clothes, and a shower. Their first evening in DC would be spent waiting for hotel rooms, meeting their roommates, experiencing their first meal with complete strangers from around the country, and finally a quick introduction session. They were then split into community groups. Alexis ended up in the “Patriots” with facilitator, Sarah Rutledge, while Emily was a part of the “Campaigners” with facilitator Jake White. After that it was finally lights out.

Each day the members were presented with a theme: Tuesday was Citizenship, Wednesday was Purpose, Thursday was Diversity, Friday was Advocacy, and Saturday was Live A Legacy. These themes were presented in their large group sessions and were more deeply discussed in community groups. Alexis said, “I could see these themes as we traveled throughout D.C. on tours. I loved that they could incorporate our theme into our entire day.”  This allowed both Emily and Alexis to actually put the material covered in the sessions to work in a more real circumstance. On the first day each attendee was given a book that they would use throughout the week in order to learn and figure out what each theme meant to them. Alexis and Emily still have their books and use it to remind themselves of the people they want to be and the impact they want to make.

Alexis & Emily with Congressman David Young

Although both girls were at the exact same conference, Alexis and Emily both had entirely different perspectives on each session, tour, and moment at WLC. One of Emily’s favorite places they visited in DC was the Newseum. She loved looking at the headlines that she’d learned about in history class and seeing how those historical events and the way they were presented to the public could impact our nation. Emily stated, “Every place you visit in DC seems to have historical significance whether it be standing where MLK gave his “I Have a Dream” speech or walking around the capitol where so many impactful decisions are made every single day.”  Alexis said, “We traveled by Metro to Arlington National Cemetery. There we were given the opportunity to see the changing of guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Wednesday night we took charter buses around DC to monuments.  My favorite monument was our last stop, the Marine Corps War Memorial, where we held reflections for Wednesday. It was quiet and dark but the light underneath the memorial was on and it showed those six men propping up the American Flag. It’s a feeling I can’t describe, but one I will never forget.”

On Thursday they traveled to the Capitol building where they took a group photo with everyone from Iowa. They also had the opportunity to meet Representative David Young and Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa. They spent two hours touring buildings near the Capitol, and learning about our nation’s government. That afternoon was spent in sessions talking about how diversity affects us every day and how we can relate to each other even if everyone is different.

Friday afternoon they spent planning and perfecting what is called a Living to Serve Plan. Each conference attendee created one and each “LTS plan” was different. Alexis said “I am still developing mine but I have seen members of my community group fulfill theirs and it is awesome to see the impact they made.”  Friday night they experienced what is called a poverty dinner, and both encourage all who haven’t experienced this to try one sometime.

Alexis & Emily with Senator Joni Ernst.

Each session was designed to challenge FFA members into thinking about the future impact they can have in their home and how that impact could change someone else’s life.  The session that especially impacted Emily involved facilitators throwing tubs of bouncy balls on the floor. Each bouncy ball had a different significance such as a teenager dropping out of high school, a child who can’t read, or someone who doesn’t have enough food to eat. The group was told that each person could pick up only one bouncy ball at a time to “fix” these issues. Together they began to pick up all of the balls. Sometimes the group would fill a container up only to have it poured out again and other times specific people would be given permission to pick up handfuls at a time. This was a great opportunity to see the importance of teamwork and how using one’s strengths for issues they are passionate about can impact the world around us.

The last day, Saturday, all of the participants of WLC worked together on a service project to pack more than 61,000 meals for those in need. After lunch they traveled into the city for some free time before their time at WLC ended. Alexis, along with a group of Iowa participants spent the afternoon at The White House and the Museum of Natural History. Alexis said, “These places were breathtaking. I have been to DC before and experienced seeing the White House before, but this time was different because I was older and I was more aware of what was going on. Even though it was my second time it was so much fun! I can’t wait to travel back to Washington D.C. and see everything when I have more time and see how things will change.”

“Nothing can compare to meeting 390 individuals who were very different from myself, but also shared the same passion for the FFA organization that I have,” said Emily Saeugling. They met so many amazing individuals, many of whom they still talk to on a regular basis. Alexis and Emily are so grateful that they had this opportunity – the people they met, the skills and knowledge they gained, and the memories they made will last a lifetime.