FFA members travel to nation’s capital for leadership conference

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

Seven members of the Charles City FFA and four members of the Osage FFA spent June 7-11 on the road, as they traveled to Washington, D.C., to take part in week one of the National FFA Washington Leadership Conference (WLC).

The local FFA students used the opportunity to interact with FFA members from across the nation, take part in different leadership workshops and activities, visit Arlington Cemetery and other various national monuments and memorials.

The FFA also visited the Smithsonian Museums and the United States Holocaust Museum. Among other highlights, they took a tour of Ford’s Theater and learned a little about President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.

The FFA members also met with Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra and Iowa Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst and learned about the democratic process and discussed agricultural issues in Iowa.

The WLC provides FFA members a premier leadership experience while exposing them to the history of Washington, D.C. Leadership workshops focused on being change-makers in their own communities. Each FFA member developed an individual “Living to Serve” plan where they identified a need within their community and made a plan to help meet that need.

Charles City FFA members who attended the conference were juniors Maya Bruening, Olivia Litterer and Lilly Luft; and sophomores Josette Benning, Jada Litterer, Madison Haus and Evan Salinas. Osage FFA members who attended the conference were Bryce Hovde, Katelyn Huebsch, Lauren McFarland and Ashton Sonberg.

Charles City FFA member Maya Bruening said that her favorite part of attending WLC was “making new friendships with people from all over the country and exploring new cultures that I have never been exposed to.”