Week five was definitely a busy one spent helping at the Maryland FFA State Convention. The convention was held at the Wisp Ski Resort here in Garrett County, bringing FFA members from across the state to participate in session activities, compete in state events, and also engage in leadership workshops alongside their peers. As someone who has been involved in 4-H and FFA her whole life, it was a great experience getting to talk with members from outside of the West Virginia FFA Association. My tasks at the convention involved helping run judging events at the fairgrounds and also serving as a judge and timekeeper for a couple of the speaking events that were held at Garrett College.
Tuesday started early, gathering and organizing materials for the poultry evaluation career development event. Through this event, students evaluated live broiler chickens, laying hens, whole carcasses, chicken cuts, and various other poultry products. This contest highlights food quality and safety from bird to product, whether that is a meat product or eggs. They also take a knowledge exam to test their understanding of poultry industry standards. Career development events such as this one expose students to various career opportunities and intrests. A lot of the knowledge gained through these events can be directly applied to the students' career paths.
The next day, I was involved with two speaking events, the first being jr. extemporaneous speaking. This event is designed to help students compile ideas and deliver a four- to six-minute speech on a randomly selected agricultural topic they draw at the beginning of their prep time. Students have thirty minutes to research their topic and become knowledgeable about the subject before giving their talk. I served as a judge for this contest, asked questions about each topic pulled, and provided feedback to students that should help them in other speaking events if they choose to participate
Pictured below with the 2025-26 State FFA VP after judging speaking events
My second event on Wednesday was the middle school FFA creed speaking event, where I kept time for each participant. If you are not familiar, the FFA creed is a five-paragraph document written by E.M Tiffany, and it talks about the qualities of leadership, hard work, and resilience that make up our agriculture industry. Through this contest, participants are asked to learn, memorize, and recite the creed word for word. For most, the creed is the first "official" FFA speaking that they learn; it is an easy way to introduce public speaking presentation skills. They had nine participants in this contest from the two middle school FFA Chapters. I was very impressed with the way these middle school members spoke, and also how they were able to construct answers to the judges' questions.
My final out-of-office event for the week included a potluck with our local Master Gardener and Master Naturalists at Deep Creek Lake State Park. This was a laid-back event that Madison and I both had the opportunity to attend and catch up with some of the people and groups we have been working with this summer.
This internship has been a learning experience in itself, finding the ways of the office and also navigating the many events. Although I find each experience fulfilling, spending time back around FFA was for sure one of my favorites so far.
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