Ridgemont Student Among 50 Across the Country Attending FFA Conference

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Feb. 13, 2019/National FFA Organization) – Next week, 50 high school students from across the country will arrive in Kansas City, Mo., and explore careers in the animal systems industry. It’s all part of the NextGen conference, offered by the National FFA Organization.

The first of their kind, #FFANextGen focuses on specific pathways that high school students might be interested in. More than 150 students applied for the inaugural conference. Students are looking forward to a gaining access to new ideas, trends and opportunities that will connect them directly with industry leaders. The conference is designed specifically for juniors and seniors as a hands-on, industry-relevant experience.

“We heard from our members that they wanted more opportunities to explore their next steps after high school. We developed the #FFANextGen conferences to get students out of the classroom and exploring their future careers,” said Kate Wehby, educational specialist with the National FFA Organization. “We’re excited to cultivate future leaders in the animal systems pathway through a week of experiential learning, relevant education, and networking.”

The first conference, scheduled for Feb. 18-23, will focus on animal systems. Throughout the week, students will hear about new and emerging ideas, trends and products in animal systems. They will explore diverse operations in animal systems, learn from industry leaders, and how to plan for their future careers and college plans. In addition, they will learn marketing, new technologies, and unique opportunities in animal systems. While attending the conference, participants will also experience field and operation tours around the Kansas City, Mo., area.

Among the 50 students attending from across the country is Madisen Jolliff from the Ridgemont FFA.