As many of you Ag students know, many of our students attended the state conference in Ontario, California two weeks ago, from March 15th to the 19th. They departed on the 15th around 7:00 am in the morning. Although, I personally don’t know much about the trip myself. So, let’s hear from a few students who got to experience it themselves!

Leigha Neilson, a Hughson High School student, explained, “We went there because it was a leadership conference, it’s basically where the California state officers do a bunch of sessions, which taught us how to be future leaders and everything like that!” “There were a few sessions a day, they were like one and a half to two hours long,” Neilson noted. 

Neilson shared that they attended all the developing sessions and a few tours. They toured Logan’s Candies shop in Ontario and Tanaka Farms where they got to pick strawberries and carrots! Needless to say, it was a great experience! But let’s hear Neilson’s opinion!

Neilson said, “The whole trip was a learning experience. I was a delegate so I got to see inside California FFA, kinda behind the scenes. I got to vote on a couple things and it really just expanded my knowledge on California FFA.” “I would encourage others to go because for me I want to go into agriculture, so for me to see all the different agriculture across the state and even across the country, it’s just great to see like oh, down in Ontario they don’t grow almonds they grow oranges!”

“Also for me I got to know more about FFA and what it is, which is really cool and if you’re super interested in FFA you should definitely attend it. The groups that went were really fun, the special dance night was super fun too, it was overall a great experience,” Neilson concluded.

Now let’s hear from another student. What else did they do? What are their thoughts and opinions on this trip? How was their experience?

“No, it did not disappoint my expectations,” Lillian Agueda, a student attending Hughson High, expressed.  “I would without a doubt encourage students to go,” “I would like to encourage anyone and everyone to attend the State FFA Conference. Not only do you get to experience all of the joys of the FFA organization, but you also get to meet new people, get out of your comfort zone, and see things that you’ve never seen before,” Agueda urged.

Agueda carried on to share her own experiences, “I went to the State FFA Conference because I always get the best experiences, memories, and overall lesson out of it.” “The 5 days spent at the conference are some of the most memorable and impactful experiences in my high school career,” Agueda stated. Agueda added, “Being able to attend four of these State FFA Conferences during my high school career is a gift in my eyes.” 

Agueda informed, “The State FFA Conference is held in a new location every year, and FFA Members from all across the state of California attend. At the conference, you are able to learn valuable skills and experiences, meet new people from across the state, talk to colleges and businesses from across the state, and so much more.” “We additionally spent the evening at Downtown Disney, attended a Silent Disco, and listened to a concert.” 

Agueda added, “I learned that throughout all of the 6,000 plus FFA members that attended the State FFA Conference, each person has their own story but we are united for 5 days together to celebrate this outstanding organization.” “The FFA has impacted so many people, including myself, so being able to be around these people and learn about their story is what I truly valued.” “It benefited my experiences, memories, work ethic, future goals, and more,” Agueda said.

As you can see, this trip was a major success and huge benefit for the agriculture students! So, if you’re planning to have some sort of agriculture as a part of your future, I suggest you consider taking this trip if you get the opportunity!