SYRACUSE, N.Y. — After hosting the New York FFA State Convention virtually for two years, more than 2,000 students, teachers, and guests gathered in person to celebrate and recognize members for all their accomplishments on May 12-14 in Syracuse, New York.
New York FFA currently supports over 9,000 middle and high school students in programs of varying size from the heart of New York City to the shores of Lake Erie. Agricultural education programs across the state offer relevance of core academic concepts as they are applied to the food and fiber systems and prepare students for career success, in and out of agriculture. One of the hallmark events for NYS FFA each year is the annual New York State FFA Convention where students, teachers, and guests gather to celebrate their accomplishments from the year. The State Convention has been a culminating activity for many members over the years, allowing them to compete in career and leadership development events, network with agricultural colleges and industry reps, and be inspired by keynote speakers and the State Officers’ retiring addresses.
This year we were excited to offer in-person opportunities for students, teachers, and supporters. People from all over New York State gathered for this annual event to hear inspiring speeches from peers and agricultural professionals, expand their knowledge during workshops and tours by exploring different fields of the agricultural industry, and networked with agricultural business professionals and colleges during the Career Engagement Expo.
The NY FFA Director, Derek Hill, stated: “It was great to see everyone back in person again this year! Our students’ talents and skills are really something to see! Congratulations to all of our members who were recognized for all of their hard work this year!”
The 21-22 NY FFA State President, Molly Adams stated, “We were all so excited to be in person for our convention this year. It truly is amazing to get to see so many members from across the state be so thrilled to come together to celebrate each other’s accomplishments from the past year. We all learned a lot from this experience. We had some amazing speakers, workshop presenters, tours and our members gave back to the community through our Day of Service projects.”
In addition to participating in tours, workshops, service projects, and sessions, student delegates from across NY elected the next team of student leaders that will lead more than 9,000 students forward this coming year. Congratulations to the following students that will serve on the 2022-2023 New York FFA State Officer Team:
Myah LaFave: President, Stockbridge Valley FFA Chapter
Hunter Smigel: Vice President, Greenville FFA Chapter
Annette Prezzano: Secretary, Pine Plains FFA Chapter
Elizabeth Schieferstine: Treasurer, Vernon-Verona-Sherrill FFA Chapter
Cristian Gilces: Reporter, John Bowne FFA Chapter
Morgan Craven: Sentinel, Hamilton FFA Chapter
As State FFA Officers, they will receive over 250 hours of training to help prepare them for their exciting year of service ahead of them. Time-management, public speaking, key message identification, character-driven decision-making and much more will be explored in depth throughout their training.
New York FFA is grateful for all of our supporters, students, and teachers who have helped make this year’s State Convention a success and who have continued to display excellence and leadership skills they have developed throughout their time in FFA. The 2023 New York State FFA Convention will take place in Buffalo, New York from May 18-20.
FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career successful through agriculture education. For more information regarding FFA, please visit either www.nysffa.org or www.ffa.org.
–New York State FFA
