INDIANAPOLIS — As a first timer at the National FFA Convention, I was filled with a mix of excitement and anticipation. As a member for the past four years, FFA has been a huge part of my life, and the idea of being surrounded by thousands of people who share the same passion was thrilling.
However, like any new experience, there’s always that uncertainty: What would it be like? What should I expect? Those thoughts made me a little anxious.
To calm my nerves, I decided to connect with other first-timers to see if they were feeling the same way. As I navigated the sea of blue jackets at the convention, the first person I chatted with was Kynlee Brandt from Pontiac, Illinois.
Brandt is a chapter officer for the first time this year, and even though it’s her first year in this role, she has always had a strong interest in agriculture.
Brandt and her chapter made the trip to Indianapolis by bus, which was interesting to me since I flew in. We both agreed on one thing — it’s crowded! To put it in perspective, we’re in a room surrounded by approximately 68,000 fellow FFA members and advisors. Despite the massive crowd, it’s been an incredibly fun experience so far.
Brandt shared that I was actually the first person she had talked to at the convention, which I thought was pretty cool. One of the highlights for her so far has been seeing all the different FFA jackets from across the country — and she got a kick out of seeing some of the guys wearing pink cowboy hats!
A fun fact I learned about Brandt is that she drives race cars, which I thought was awesome.
Next, I had the chance to talk with Carley Denton from Gibson County, Tennessee.
Like Brandt and I, this is Denton’s first time at the National Convention, but she’s no stranger to the world of agriculture! Denton has been involved in 4-H since the fourth grade, and she’s known the FFA advisors for years. When she got to high school, joining FFA was a no-brainer.
Denton’s chapter came by car, so between the three of us, we all arrived by different means of transportation — plane, bus, and car!
Denton agreed that while the convention has been a blast, there are a lot of people here, and it’s very different from what she’s used to back home. She mentioned meeting YouTube personality and self-proclaimed “World’s Greatest Bull Rider” Dale Brisby, who she said has been the most interesting person she’s met so far.
We also chatted about what we packed for the trip — Denton brought all her FFA attire but mentioned she wished she’d packed warmer clothes! (The lows here in Indy have been in the 40s so far, but Saturday night is supposed to be down to 36!)
What I myself have enjoyed is meeting FFA members from all across the country. Whether I’m waiting in line to talk to colleges, attending sessions, or shopping at the vendor booths, it’s been fun to learn about people’s different backgrounds and experiences.
For me, though, the highlight of the convention so far was seeing Megan Moroney in concert. She’s my favorite singer, and getting to see her perform with so many fellow FFA members in the audience was an unforgettable experience.
Talking with other first-timers like Brandt and Denton made me feel better about being both excited and nervous. We all agreed that the National FFA Convention is unlike anything we’ve experienced before — and we’re loving every minute of it!
