North Powder FFA Showing What National Convention Means to Oregon’s FFA Members
By Garrett Christensen on Thursday, December 29th, 2022 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
NORTH POWDER – Throughout this series, FFA students and advisors from across Union and Wallowa Counties have given a plethora of different perspectives and shared many different experiences from the 2022 FFA National Convention. Stories range from the awe and wonder experienced by students walking into a corduroy filled convention center for the first time to the sheer joy felt by advisors seeing their graduates walk across the stage to receive their American FFA Degrees. Memories were made between members from opposite sides of the nation while other students learned exactly what agriculture can do for them and their future careers. It’s nigh impossible to pin down exactly what FFA Nationals means to Oregon’s FFA students collectively, but it can be said that, at the very least, Nationals provides an entirely unique opportunity for many of them. Concluding this series highlighting the thoughts and experiences of Eastern Oregon’s FFA chapters at Nationals is the North Powder chapter.
Like other chapters, 2022 served as a return to national convention for the North Powder chapter. Their hiatus partially pre-dates COVID, with the chapter having not attended in five years. However, this put North Powder in a unique position in terms of experience. Of the 11 students that attended, including one La Grande student that joined them, most had never been to nationals before. North Powder FFA Advisor and ag instructor Hailey Paterson noted that, “One of the major reasons we attended National Convention this year was to allow students to gain real-life experiences & learn about agriculture in other states.”
In addition, this was also the first year Patterson attended as a chapter advisor. A former FFA state officer and member of the Imbler FFA Chapter, she reflected on seeing students take in the convention for the first time, stating:
“It was an inspiring and incredible full- circle moment watching the awe and magic I once experienced, through the eyes of my students. My students and I shared many laughs & created a lifetime of memories.”
Like Enterprise, North Powder did not partake in competitions, nor apply for any proficiencies. Instead, full focus was given to student experiences and the educational aspects of the convention. This isn’t to imply there weren’t some noteworthy achievements, as member Hunter Bingham had the opportunity to play as part of the national FFA band. Currently a junior at North Powder, Hunter has been heavily involved since his eighth-grade year, participating in everything from livestock judging to public speaking. Initially hesitant to apply for the band, Hunter was eventually convinced by Ms. Patterson and practiced with North Powder’s music teacher, Matt Carlsen, before being accepted. He reflected more on his time with the band, stating:
“This was an amazing experience that allowed me to meet kids from around the country with the same hobbies and joys as me. Not only did I learn so much about our nation’s agriculture, I also learned so much musically.”
In terms of other experiences, North Powder had no shortage. Before arriving at Nationals, the chapter went on tours of Claiborne Farms, Churchill Downs and a family-owned dairy operation in Kentucky. According to members Stran Bingham and Paige Marlia, this also involved getting to pet an $80,000 dollar horse while at Claiborne farms. Convention itself was marked by workshops, educational tours, career fairs and speakers including keynote speaker Tamika Catchings who explained the importance of maintaining a bold mindset when dealing with everyday choices. Paige reflected on some of the convention offerings, remarking, “There are many workshops at National Convention that teach me many different skills. I went to one about positivity and it left me with items to think about and skills to better my life.”
Aside from educational and vocational opportunities, one facet of convention that was reflected fondly by North Powder, and indeed most Eastern Oregon Chapters that shared their experiences, was the social aspect, as Stran reflected, “I enjoyed all of it, but I loved the time to hang out at the career fair and FFA shopping mall because you could socialize with so many kids from all over the country, visit businesses, and learn about colleges from all over the nation”
With tens of thousands of FFA students sharing a convention center and exploring Indianapolis together, it was inevitable that new bonds would be made. Temporary though these bonds may have been, with the exception of Enterprise, the sense of community and comradery among members as they shared their chapter experiences and state cultures cannot be understated. This phenomenon is further described by Hunter’s reflection of the band’s final performance:
“The most memorable experience was the last session that we played for. When the spotlights cut out, the entire band realized that we would be leaving each other within several hours. Over the week, strangers became friends, and friends became a sense of family that we may never see again. It was a very sentimental experience that taught me how close people can get when local reputations are taken away.”
Different students will ultimately walk away from Convention with different experiences, but the point is that Nationals provided them the opportunity to have those experiences. Students learned together, performed together and made memories together. Regardless of if FFA members find a future in an agricultural career or learn a few fun facts about a state they’ve never been to before striking out on their own, FFA National Convention and experiences like it ensure that they all get something out of it and get to see that they are part of something bigger.
As a final note, it should go without saying that such experiences would not be possible without the support and dedication of the chapter advisors, school district staff and community supporters. Every student interviewed during this series gave thanks or praise to their advisor and community in one way or another. Hunter also gave a note of thanks to his community for their support, but let it also serve as a form of thanks to all advisors and supporters, be they for North Powder, Imbler, Joseph, Elgin, Enterprise or any other Oregon chapter that has or plans to attend Nationals:
“I have tried to demonstrate the once-in-a-lifetime experience that National Convention was for me. I was able to meet people from all over the country and learn so much from them. However, none of this would have ever been possible if it weren’t for the guidance of our Advisors and the support of our communities. National Convention is an expensive trip, to some, it might seem too expensive to try out. However, through financial support from the community during fundraisers and other events, a variety of members from our chapter were able to experience the wonders of the National Convention. Before this year, I didn’t know about the National FFA Band, but my Chapter Advisor Ms. Patterson explained it to me and encouraged me to audition. Through that encouragement and the support of our Music Teacher Mr. Carlsen, I had the resources I needed to have this experience. I am grateful for the unending support of our community members and Advisors.”
