National FFA Officer Visit Independence Jr./Sr. High School
Independence, IA– On Thursday, September 26th, National FFA Central Region Vice-President Brennan Costello visited the Independence Jr./Sr. High School. Accompanied by a team of district officers from various communities including Wapsie Valley, Jesup and New Hampton, Costello was given a tour of the new school and campus. The Independence FFA officers guided this tour, emphasizing things such as larger classrooms, state-of-the-art wood and metal shops, top tier athletic facilities and cutting edge performing arts facilities.
Following the tour, Costello became the first speaker to use the auditorium when he gave his presentation to the Independence FFA Chapter members. He spoke about how to be prepared for any situation and what it takes to be an effective leader. He shared some funny past experiences and talked about what he does as a National Officer. After his presentation, Costello led activities in the various agriculture classes throughout the day. His main topic was heroes and villains. Students learned that villains are simply things that negatively impact their lives. Villains can be fake friends, bad past experiences, and low confidence, to name a few. In order to be heroes, students must learn to effectively combat these villains by either confronting them or putting them in the past.
Hosting a National Officer is rare for any FFA Chapter, let alone a brand new chapter. Thanks to the efforts of Ms. Emig, the Independence Chapter Advisor and Tony Mollers, NE State Vice-President, Costello added a visit to Independence into his busy schedule. He and his National Officer team are now busy preparing for the National Convention held in Louisville, Kentucky at the end of October. Six members of the Independence Chapter will be given the opportunity to attend this convention where they will attend workshops, listen to various speakers, and tour some major agricultural corporations.
Respectfully Submitted,
Molly Gustafson
Independence FFA Chapter Reporter
###
For more information:
Rachael Emig, FFA Advisor
remig@independence.k12.ia.us
Phone: 319-334-7405 ext. 775