State officer gears up for National FFA Convention

INDIANAPOLIS — Lauren Argotte, Indiana FFA state secretary, is preparing for the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo, which will be held Oct. 29-Nov.1 in Indianapolis.

She shared her stories and insight with AgriNews.

Q: What are you looking forward to at the National FFA Convention & Expo?

A: I’m definitely excited to be reunited with some of the friends I’ve made in previous years. Throughout my years in FFA I’ve had the opportunity to attend a couple of state, as well as national, conferences and events.

I’ve made some really close friendships, and national convention is the perfect time to be reunited with those friends and see them once again, as well as make new friends throughout sessions and different workshops that you attend.

Q: Is there anything new or different at this year’s convention?

A: Something that changes year to year is the Living to Serve booth. Every year the booth has a different community service project that they work on. So, that means FFA members can come to the booth and participate.

At the end of convention, all those items they make are given to somewhere local. For instance, in previous years they made sensory toys for preschool and elementary schools.

They’ve also made potholders to donate to people through Meals on Wheels. I believe this year’s convention they are making dog toys.

I always look forward to going there with my friends. We have this amazing opportunity to be surrounded by such a community and having that Living to Serve aspect — just like it says in the FFA motto — is always something that I love.

Also, something that changes year to year are the various workshops and session speakers. Finally, there is also a concert every single year and this year is Ella Langley.

Q: How do how does it feel to host thousands of FFA members from all over the country right here in Indiana?

A: Hosting in Indiana provides us a really unique opportunity. Sometimes we do wish we could travel to other states just like they travel to us, but I think it’s really cool that we are able to host in Indiana because so many people explore Indiana agriculture and agritourism places.

Q: Is there anything else about the National FFA Convention & Expo that you’d like to mention?

A: Something I believe is so unique about the National FFA Convention is all the different opportunities. That’s one piece of advice I would give any FFA member — take every opportunity you can and truly soak it all in.

At national convention there’s tons of opportunities for growth, whether that’s attending different sessions or hearing the national officers’ retiring address. I know that’s always one of my favorite parts.

They always have workshops, whether focused on communication or leadership, and also checking out the Expo Hall.

You can learn about different fields within agriculture, different careers, and how you can continue to grow, whether that’s inside or outside the corduroy blue jacket.