By Marin Murray.

One whole week of national blue and corn gold. A week of hardly any sleep but so many new memories. A week of lessons learned and connections forged. It’s a week senior Austin Hendrickson won’t forget for a long time.

Austin attended the national Future Farmers of America (FFA) convention from Nov. 1-4 in Indianapolis, serving as a member of the Texas delegation.

“National convention was wonderful,” Austin said. “I was there for a week straight. I left on Sunday, and I came back the next Sunday. It was exhausting, but it was a very good experience.”

Austin was one of approximately 65,000 FFA members and guests that attended the convention and one of 70 Texas representatives. Last year, 2023 graduate Carrie Schuman attended the convention after holding a similar office.

“I got to go because I was elected as an Area IV vice president,” Austin said. “I got to serve as part of the Texas delegation at the national convention.”

While at the convention, Austin had the opportunity to participate in general sessions, leadership workshops, and competitive events, among other activities.

“I got to serve on the Expanding Student Opportunities Committee,” Austin said. “Our committee focused on making sure all voices were heard in the national association, which is a very difficult task. So, what we focused on was making sure our national contests were looking the same as our state contests and that there were accommodations in place for people with various special needs.”

In addition to serving as one of the area vice presidents, Austin also leads the school’s FFA chapter. He feels that the lessons he learned while serving on a committee and engaging in activities will help make the chapter more successful.

“There was a lot I was able to learn,” Austin said. “Just working with the Texas delegation and conducting business using parliamentary procedures was very enlightening as to how things work. Being able to see how different state associations are functioning and how they use their resources at hand can really be brought back to our chapter.”

The national convention includes delegations from all 50 states and the territory of Puerto Rico. As a result, students from different parts of the nation are able to connect and learn from one another.

“My favorite experience was actually getting to interact with all of the different state associations,” Austin said. “I specifically remember talking to the Oklahoma state president, and just being able to make those bonds and different connections with people was just an extraordinary experience. I’m super thankful.”

Austin believes that the experiences and connections he gained over the course of the convention will help him with his future ventures within FFA, including running for state office later this school year.

 “What I did this week is also helping me prepare for running for state FFA office, which is very exciting,” Austin said. “I think it was just a really good opportunity overall.”