Hollow Rock Bruceton Attends 2024 National FFA Convention

Last month, the Hollow Rock Bruceton FFA Officers attended the 2024 National FFA Convention in Louisville.

For months, the team prepared for the event, including scheduling, submitting applications, scanning events beyond the convention, and finally getting the infamous corn gold and national blue jackets together. The team comprised five students - Ansley Hollingsworth, Allie Paschall, Taylor Walters, Cadence Guinn, and Makray Brown and two adults - Amanda Paschall and the FFA advisor, Michael Stanford). They began their journey bright in the morning at dawn on October 22. Halfway into the drive, the members stopped at the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory for an educational experience of the history of the baseball bats. After hours of traveling, they arrived at their promising destination: Indianapolis, Indiana.

This year, 70,000 students from all 50 states, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico came together and celebrated Future Farmers of America. The club offered the students chances for educational experiences and options to make the proceeding four days memorable for every attendee. This included a private concert by country singer Megan Moroney and Nate Smith and a rodeo sponsored by the city of Indianapolis. The organization also arranged classes in which the Hollow Rock Bruceton Chapter and other teams participated. These classes taught the students about life and how they could make situations better simply by applying new ways of thinking. At the convention center, there were two things that the students loved to adventure. One of them was the FFA Mall, where many southern-themed brands set up little shops for the students to spend their money. Some of these brands were Wrangler, Cowpokes, Ozark Candy Delight, Newt’s Hat Co., Epic Threads, and more. There was also a spot where the FFA members enjoyed a dance floor set up by Tractor Supply Co. by dancing their hearts out to classic country line dances. The second was the National FFA Expo, where colleges all over the nation informed students about educational paths and classes. The tables were filled with merch from the colleges as well.

On October 25, the Hollow Rock-Bruceton FFA team prepared to leave the trip with new memories to last a lifetime. Hollow Rock-Bruceton FFA Officer Cadence Guinn said this about the experience, “It was one filled with memories and joyful times. We all loved everything about the event, and we hope to attend it in the future.”

They arrived home that afternoon, and it was clear that the trip was worth all of the hard work that was put into it.

The officers thank every business that helped them visit the convention. And hopefully, there will be many more National FFA Conventions for Hollow Rock-Bruceton FFA Chapters in the years to come.

You can follow the Hollow Rock-Bruceton FFA chapter on Facebook to see their growth and endeavors as a new and growing chapter.