Starting in mid-June, the state FFA officer team has had a jam-packed schedule, beginning with traveling to the California Agricultural Teachers’ Association (CATA) conference in San Luis Obispo. There, we had the opportunity to introduce ourselves to ag teachers from all over the state. While in the area, we stopped in Santa Maria to escape the Central Valley heat wave and visit our State Treasurer, Melissa Lua-Duarte’s family.
On the way home, we stopped in Turlock to visit our State Vice President, John Dein's family, and took the opportunity to visit Patterson High School. We experienced their extraordinary student trucking program, used their semi-truck simulator, learned about the interconnectedness between the trucking and agriculture industries, and even drove one of their on-site semi-trucks.
At the beginning of July, the state FFA officer team had the opportunity to attend the California State Fair in Sacramento. During our two-day visit, we handed out showmanship awards and attended the champion drives, where our very own State Treasurer, Melissa Lua-Duarte, sang the national anthem.
Since moving in, the state officer team has been prepping and planning for the Regional Officer Leadership Conference (ROLC) in Buellton. This four-day conference is full of activities, including leadership workshops, industry tours, nightly reflections, volleyball tournaments, and a keynote speech from past State FFA President and national officer candidate, Abigale Jacobsen.
As July ends, we’re heading to the California Youth Ag Expo in Tulare, where we’ll help facilitate the champion drive awards, as well as the awards for the public speaking competitions. As the summer ends, we’re anticipating the next season of sectional officer leadership conferences and chapter officer leadership conferences spread throughout the state. We’re looking forward to meeting many of you!
