The National FFA Convention and Expo: A Blue and Gold Evolution

Throughout my life I have experienced the National FFA Convention and Expo a total of four times; as a senior in high school, as a Pennsylvania FFA State Officer, as a Pennsylvania FFA Delegate, and as a sophomore pursuing Agricultural and Extension Education with The Pennsylvania State University. Each trip entailed around sixteen hours in a van, a week away from home, a chance to be surrounded by blue corduroy (quite literally for three out of four of those trips), and an entirely unique experience. In joining the National FFA Organization, I was told of the incredible opportunities, growth, and brotherhood that I would be blessed with, but I was never made aware of the Blue and Gold Evolution I would personally experience until heading home from the 92nd National FFA Convention and Expo a week ago.

My first year attending the National FFA Convention and Expo, I went with my local chapter to experience the organization that gave me a passion for Agricultural Education at the national level. While I did not compete, I gained a true understanding of the scope of  FFA, made friends from across the nation, and grew closer to the members of my chapter. I could feel myself being swept up in the atmosphere of fun and fellowship as I collected signatures from one member from each US state and territory, danced during sessions, and toured a few sponsors local to Indianapolis. While I had felt a part of something larger when I first joined the Elizabethtown FFA Chapter, being at the National FFA Convention and Expo gave me tangible evidence of my individual importance in a united purpose as an FFA member.

The second milestone in my Blue and Gold Evolution built upon my newfound sense of belonging. I was a State Officer, and after studying and preparing to be blessed with the opportunity of a lifetime, after reflecting on how the National FFA Organization had taken my shy disposition and transformed it into a passionate confidence, and after feeling the rush of ecstatic joy when my name was announced as part of the new team, I was back at the National FFA Convention and Expo in an Association jacket. While I did not expect to have the opportunity to return to National Convention after graduating, I felt more a part of the organization than I had in high school. I attended every session, contributed to the delegate process, made friends with State Officers from across the nation, and was greeted by Pennsylvania FFA members with excitement. In short, I felt as if I had reached an importance that I had never had before. Not only was I part of a united purpose in FFA, but I could feel the weight of my year of service through a lack of sleep and a heart full of the friendships, memories, and opportunities that I made in that short week.

Retiring from the 2017-2018 Pennsylvania FFA State Officer Team was the most emotional experience of my life. I was overjoyed for the newly elected team and the passions and talents that they would get to experience and share with Pennsylvania FFA, but I was sad to be letting go of a position that showed me the working relationship between love and service. So, when I applied and was selected to serve as a Pennsylvania FFA Delegate with my teammate Thomas Gabel and the 2018-2019 Pennsylvania FFA State Officer Team, another opportunity to enjoy National Convention in the midst of the chaos of my freshman year was a pleasant surprise. Once more I was able to discuss the future of FFA through the delegate process, form new friendships, receive my American Degree, and talk to different supporters of the National FFA Convention. After struggling through my first semester of college at Penn State Harrisburg, completely disconnected from Agricultural Education, a week at the National FFA Convention and Expo allowed me to see the faces of students who won a Career or Leadership Development Event after months of hard work, cheer on members that I knew personally, and admire the dedication that each of the advisors present had for their students. In short,  I got to reconnect with the reasons I was pursuing a career as an Agricultural Educator.

After three years of experiencing a Blue and Gold Evolution at the National FFA Convention and Expo, I returned for the first time this year and walked the streets of Indianapolis without my blue jacket. While I did get the opportunity to participate in my first Parliamentary Procedure competition at the National ATA Conclave, I felt saddened at first; disconnected from the organization that I fell in love with during my sophomore year of high school. However, as I bonded with my Agricultural Education family, caught up with a few old friends, and watched the members around me realize their own individual importance to FFA's united purpose, I respected the feeling of separation that came over me. While some FFA members evolve to work directly in agriculture, I realized last week that my Blue and Gold Evolution led me to feel the humble disconnect of a future Agricultural Educator. Though I no longer feel like an FFA member, I am proud of this newfound separation, because FFA is no longer about the relationships that I will make and opportunities I will take, it is about them, those students beginning their own Blue and Gold Evolutions, and what they will do for the future of agriculture.

Taylor Halbleib

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2022

Victoria Herr (@Victoria_Herr) is Living to Serve as National #TeachAg Ambassador!

Victoria Herr, National Teach
Ag Ambassador

A @TeachAGPSU star  has been chosen from nationwide pool of student applicants to serve as a National Teach Ag Ambassador! Our very own Victoria Herr (Victoria_Herr) will be spending the next year as a member of the team of 12 National Teach Ag Ambassadors.

Victoria Herr is a junior at Penn state majoring in Agriculture Education and member of the 2019 Ag Ed cohort (#psuaged19). She served as the 2014-2015 Pennsylvania State FFA (@PA_FFA) Secretary and is very dedicated student who is involved with the Teach Ag! Society, Alpha Tau Alpha and numerous other clubs on campus that are motivated to teach others about the agriculture industry. When asked what drew her to apply to become a Teach Ag Ambassador, Victoria said “One of the main reasons I was drawn to apply is because I love to talk about and advocate for agriculture education. I’m a very talkative and passionate person so when I get to talk about something I love, I always enjoy it! I knew that serving as a National Teach Ag Ambassador would give me lots of opportunities to meet prospective Ag teachers and encourage them on their journeys! I also think it’s always really important to give back; I have always had mentors in Ag Ed and I wanted to do the same for other students!”

Victoria at the Alpha Tau Alpha
inductee ceremony.

A Teach Ag Ambassador, Victoria’s main goal will to be to encourage others to consider a career as an Agriculture Educator. She will do this by sharing her passion and enthusiasm about the industry and profession with others through emails, social media, presentations and other outlets that include the campaign at the National FFA (@NationalFFA) Convention. She will also work with local and state leaders in agriculture education to inspire youth to pursue a major and career in agriculture education. Victoria is most excited about “…the National FFA Convention because I will get to spend the week with the rest of the other National Teach Ag Ambassadors and we will get a lot of time with FFA members! National Convention is always a special time and I’m excited to be spending this upcoming convention in a different role. I have spent several years at National Convention myself as a member and can now spend the week serving the FFA members!”

There is an ongoing shortage of agriculture teachers across the country. There are numerous retirements, new programs opening, current programs expanding and teachers going on to pursue other opportunities every year which lead to this shortage. This is why it is so important for the Teach Ag Ambassadors to promote and help students find their passion to teach! National Teach Ag Campaign Project Director, Ellen Thompson expresses why the ambassadors are imperative to the growth of the profession when she stated,“As the number of agricultural education programs continues to grow, we need more quality and diverse agriculture teachers to fill the roles. The ambassador program gives us an opportunity to deliver the Teach Ag message to a bigger audience, while investing in the next generation of agriculture teachers.”

Ellen Thompson (@ellencthompson),
National Teach Ag Campaign Project Director

As mentioned earlier, Victoria will be spending her year of service with eleven other college students hailing from various institutes across the nations ranging from Oregon State University all the way to Florida A&M University. Each of these new Ambassadors are just as passionate about the Agriculture Industry and Agriculture Education as Victoria is. When asked why it is important to serve as an Ambassador, Victoria said:

“I think it is important for students in our major to consider serving in a position such as National Teach Ag Ambassador because it allows them to gain a lot of experience as well as give back. Opportunities like this give student lots of public speaking experience, facilitating and planning experience, and allows them to make lots of connections. And as I mentioned before, I think it’s really important to give back. When we think about it, most of us have been influenced by past teachers and students, so now it’s our turn to do that. I hope that through my role as an Ambassador, I am able to encourage my peers to take on similar positions!”

Victoria (#psuaged19) along with George Dietrich (@TheGeorge4H), left (#psuaged18),
represented @TeachAgPSU in the 2017 Penn State Homecoming Parade!

Macy Fisher, Student Blogger

Twitter Handle: @macy_fisher

#psuaged18 member

2018 Selinsgrove Student Teacher

College of Agricultural Science Faculty Member Honored at the National FFA Convention

                                                                                                              Webster's Dictionary defines honorary as, "given as a sign of honor or achievement."  At the 89th National FFA Convention, the Honorary American FFA Degree was conferred upon 136 individuals who have provided exceptional service on a national level to agriculture, agricultural education, or FFA.

The Honorary American FFA degree is given to those who advance agricultural education and FFA through outstanding personal commitment. Dr. Ewing is an educator who many can say has created high-quality agricultural education programs through preparation of student teachers.  Once teachers, they inspire and motivate their students to strive for success.   

We are Penn State Proud of Dr. John Ewing who was awarded the Honorary American FFA Degree!

Dr. Ewing's many years of service  and dedication to teacher preparation, FFA, and agricultural education made him worthy of such an honor!Dr. Ewing spent three years teaching agricultural education to high school students at Octorara High School.  From August 2000 to June 2003, Dr. Ewing shared his passion for agriculture mechanics and environmental science with young minds at Octorara High School.  In 2003, Dr. Ewing had the tables reserved as he once again became the student.  He attended The Ohio State University to receive his Masters and Doctorate Degrees in Agricultural Education.  In 2006, Dr. Ewing joined the faculty at Penn State University; becoming an integral part of the teacher preparation program.  

Currently, Dr. Ewing serves as the undergraduate coordinator for Agricultural and Extension Education, as well as Associate Professor of Agricultural and Extension Education.  He also serves as the advisor for Penn State Collegiate FFA.  Dr. Ewing works tirelessly to produce high quality teacher candidates, equipped with tools to become outstanding agricultural educators.  A man who's hard to catch, Dr. Ewing always has a minute to speak with a student, or lend some helpful advice.

It comes as no surprise Dr. Ewing was chosen to receive the Honorary American FFA Degree. Nominated by the Pennsylvania FFA Association, members of the National FFA board of directors approved Dr. Ewing's nomination. The Honorary American FFA Degree is an opportunity to recognize those who have gone beyond valuable daily contributions to make an extraordinary long-term difference in the lives of students; inspiring confidence in a new generation of agriculturists. 

The National FFA Organization works diligently to enhance the lives of it's members through agricultural education. Without these dedicated individuals and their efforts, thousands of young people would not be able to achieve success, in turn contributing directly to the overall well-being of the nation. 

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog.

                                                                           

                                                                         Halee Wasson

Student Blogger

Twitter Handle: @wasson_halee

2018 Agriculture Education Student Teacher

National FFA Convention: Lives transformed!

As a sophomore in High School, I attended my first National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. That year FFA celebrated 84 years of convention, and encouraged attendees to believe in their ability to create change that positively impacts the future of agriculture. After attending the first session of the convention, I was immensely impressed with the empowering atmosphere created by members, advisors, and guests that filled the arena. Fully immersed in the session, I became inspired to believe in the future of agriculture and the role I can play to make a difference in the future.

Fast forward to last week as the 89^th National FFA Convention returned to Indianapolis, Indiana. Although I did not attend, I realized there could potentially be a sophomore attending convention experiencing what I did five years ago. They were encouraged, empowered, and inspired to create change in agriculture. This realization came about because their Agricultural Science teacher afforded them an opportunity to attend FFA convention. I am thankful that my Agricultural Science teacher provided me the opportunity to attend convention.I became aware of my ability to create change as a future Agriculture Science teacher. I will prepare students for these moments, when they discover their potential and ability to create a positive impact. I look forward to experiencing this next year when I travel to National FFA Convention with my cooperating centers. 

This year, the seven 2017 Penn State Student Teachers had an amazing opportunity to experience convention with their cooperating centers, and engage with their future students.

Along with the seven 2017 Penn State Student Teachers, eighteen students studying Agricultural and Extension Education and other agriculture related majors participated in National Alpha Tau Alpha competitions. Below is a list of placing and highlights from each contest:

Essay Contest

Individual Division Submission- Rosalind Cowan (1st)

Team Division Submission- Kayla Hack and Evelyn Zaleski (1st), Tony Rice and Kolbey Stewart (2nd), 

Debate Contest

Debate Team- Matthew Rider, Michael Cahill, Matthew Snyder, Rosalind Cowen

Program of Excellence

Professional Development- Penn State Teach Ag! Society (1^st)

Fellowship- Penn State Teach Ag! Society (1^st)

Community Service- Penn State Teach Ag! Society (1^st)

Parliamentary Procedure

Parliamentary Procedure Team (R to L)- 
George Dietrich, Katelyn Brouse, Ali Emig, Alicia Gates, Emily Schultz  (4^th)

Delegate Representation

Delegates for the Eta Chapter- Sara Lang and George Dietrich

Along with all the individual and team achievements, the Penn State Teach Ag! Society was able to receive recognition as the recipient of the A.W. Nolan Memorial Leadership Award at the ATA Conclave. These are achievements our members can be proud of! 

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog.

                                                                           
                                                                           Halee Wasson

Student Blogger

Twitter Handle: @wasson_halee

2018 Agriculture Education Student Teacher

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: National FFA Convention #studentsuccess

It's the most wonderful time of the year. National FFA Convention is finally here! It's time for four days with 60,000 people, and the future of agriculture! FFA members and guest travel across the country to Indianapolis, Indiana to join the opportunities that the National FFA Convention provides through sessions and keynote speakers, the expo and career fair, tours, workshops, concerts, rodeos, dances and so much more.

11 of the 25 students enjoying the 89th National FFA Convention!

Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has 25 students actively involved at the National FFA Convention. 
The seven 2017 Penn State Student Teachers are attending convention with their cooperating centers; allowing them to gain a valuable experience by planning and traveling to an event with students.Three students are serving as student volunteers in the educational resource booths for National FFA. One student is serving as an intern in the National FFA communications department. The remaining 14 students are serving as public speaking judges, assisting with the parliamentary procedure CDE, and working the State FFA photo booth.  In addition, many of the 25 members are also competing in the National ATA Conclave, in events such as: Parli Pro, Quiz Bowl, Debate Team, Essay Contest, and Nolan Award/Program of Excellence.

Also, our very own Penn State Teach Ag! Society member--Katie McLaughlin, is competing to serve as a National FFA Officer! She is representing the state of Pennsylvania as the National FFA Officer candidate. She is surly making Pennsylvania FFA proud because she made it to the final rounds of the National Officer interviews! We wish her the best of luck as she continues on.

Katie McLaughlin pictured with
her National Officer Candidate Jacket

Stay connected for a recap of how Penn State students continue to excel at the 89th National FFA Convention.

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog.

Halee Wasson

Student Blogger

Twitter Handle: @wasson_halee

2018 Agriculture Education Student Teacher