The National FFA Convention recently took place in Indianapolis, Indiana, and for seven Greene County High School students, it was a trip of a lifetime.

The trip highlighted not only the convention itself — where Advisor Katie Akers says there were over 65,000 students from across the nation, making it one of the largest FFA conventions ever — but there were several educational opportunities. The students got to tour a diary and hog confinement farm in Indiana, see Church Hill Downs and tour the Louisville Slugger facility in Kentucky, look at farm equipment at the John Deere plant in Moline, Illinois, and they even saw Garth Brooks in concert.

Greene County FFA Secretary Izzy Bravard talks about a highlight of the trip. “My favorite part about going on the national FFA trip was getting to see people from all over the country and getting to know they kind of do things. And hearing them talk in their accents.”

FFA President Kara Reed explains why getting an opportunity to go on this kind of a trip makes them better leaders.

“I went last year and I had so much fun with my officer team then. And now going this year it was a whole different experience with new people. And I think just doing this gets us a lot closer as a team, so it’s a great thing to start off the year with.”

Akers adds that even though they didn’t stay for his speech, President Donald Trump was an invited speaker as well. The students that attended the convention include: Kara Reed, Kendall Fecher, Izzy Bravard, Tieryn Tucker, Kayla Muir, Ashlyn Frederick, and Lauryn Killion