4,000 high school students are in downtown Fresno for the 84th annual State FFA Conference. From now through Tuesday, state officers will be elected and awards will be handed out.
This is a conference that focuses on more than just agriculture. It inspires leadership, which helps develop future farmers, scientists, politicians and corporate CEO’s.
Saturday evening, an energetic group of FFA members from all over California took Selland Arena by storm.
“They’re good kids,” said Kevin Koelewin, an ag teacher at Tulare High School.
Koelewin says a major objective of this conference is to improve students’ social skills and make them become better speakers.
“If they can articulate themselves then they are going to have a better opportunity for scholarships, they’re going to get into colleges better,” said Koelewin.
Seth Brummel, a senior from Riverside County, plans to enlist with the U.S. Marine Corps. He believes FFA has prepared him.
“The leadership they teach you in FFA just rolls right over into it. Just being a leader and guiding people where to go and knowing where to be and what to do at the right time,” said Brummel.
The 4-day conference is also a big boost to the city of Fresno’s economy. Visitors are expected to generate $500,000.
“Of these 4,000 kids, they all have to stay somewhere and they’re all going to have to eat,” said Nicole Maul, an event organizer.
Maul says these teenagers will pay us back in an even bigger way later on down the line.
“Be on the lookout for these kids because they’re going to be doing big things for our community, for agriculture and for California,” said Maul.
Students will be doing activities at the Fresno State campus during the conference, which the university says always serves as a great recruiting tool.