r
By Avarie Peterson
r
On Oct. 25-31, 2015, the Springville High School FFA traveled to Nashville, Ky., for the FFA National Convention & Expo. Four students from the Springville FFA chapter traveled by plane and stayed for a week in Kentucky: Emily Robinson, Garrett Ashby, Cally Bradshaw and Cassidy Craudell. They had a little free time to explore, going to the Country Music Hall of Fame and the National Corvette Museum, and they had the opportunity to meet Drake Bell.
r
The theme of the convention this year was “Amplify.” Each year at the convention, six new students are elected by delegates to represent the organization as national FFA officers. The 2015-2016 National FFA officers are Taylor McNeel, Nick Baker, Sydney Snider, Abrah Meyer, Abby Gretsch and Sarah Draper (Utah). They select a president, secretary and vice presidents to represent the eastern, southern, central and western regions of the country. The team will lead personal growth and leadership training conferences for FFA throughout the country. They will set policies that will help guide the future of FFA and agriculture literacy.
r
A great friend of the FFA from Utah, Amberley Snyder, had the chance to speak in a session at the convention. She spoke about overcoming obstacles and encouraged FFA members to work hard every day and never give up on their dreams.
r
After working hard to face the challenges she faced after a paralyzing accident, she got back on her horse and started competing in rodeos again. She is a great example of what perseverance and a positive attitude can accomplish. It was a great opportunity and many Springville FFA members hope for the chance to attend next year.
