FFA students thankful for FUNvention
Students attending the FFA state convention at Harvest Ridge in Millersburg were presented with plenty of opportunities to glean some valuable information from professionals during workshops.
Harvest Ridge at the Holmes County Fairgrounds in Millersburg was overrun by a sea of blue jackets Thursday and Friday, April 29-30, and each jacket in that sea of blue was connected to the smiling face of one of the FFA members from 18 school district chapters from 10 counties.
FUNvention, an event developed by about a dozen Ohio Future Farmers of America teachers to take the place of the state convention, was created so the FFA members could showcase what they have achieved this past year in front of their peers while at the same time providing fun and education.
The students were elated to have the chance to come together and enjoy one another’s company after more than a year of being quarantined and missing out on so many events, and they were appreciative of the chance to fellowship and learn.
Jessi Cramer, a junior at Carrollton High School, said FUNvention was something all of the FFA chapters were looking forward to for some time.
“This is the first thing this year that so many chapters can gather and celebrate,” Cramer said. “The sea of blue jackets is amazing, and getting to catch up with other people from other schools is fantastic since it’s been over a year since we’ve had the chance to get together.”
Cramer went on to say the teachers who created FUNvention did an excellent job of bringing together all of the right parts needed to emulate a state convention, and the FFA members were all grateful for their hard work.
“We are very lucky to have such dedicated teachers,” Cramer said. “I’ve actually talked to some friends from around the state who didn’t get to experience this, and they are so disappointed not to be a part of this. And it is all possible because we have such amazing teachers. We’re loving it.”
Hillsdale FFA member Thorn Funk said after watching everything get canceled last year, being able to reconnect in person was an exciting opportunity and one the students weren’t going to take for granted.
“What a chance to meet new people and experience new things,” said Funk, a part of a parliamentary procedure team that placed fifth at state, albeit the virtual way. “After having everything done virtually the past year, it is so awesome to get together. It’s just great to see new faces and talk to kids in person.”
As for what was there to glean for the FFA students, it was agriculture, economics and valuable advice from a series of qualified speakers.
“Having grown up on a farm, I want to learn as much as I can about agriculture,” Hiland sophomore Christian Miller said. “It has been really interesting to learn about things that are new and that I didn’t get on the farm when I was young. The opportunities to learn here are amazing, and to have something this big being put on by local schools is something special.”
Jayla Schafrath, a mother from the Triway School District, was emotional when it came to talking about the value of the event and the good fortune of having a group of teachers who are so dedicated to their students that they would create such an event.
“This is amazing,” Schafrath said. “These kids need this. We’ve seen so many ups and downs with the kids that this is a moment to lift their spirits.”
Schafrath said seeing teachers unite and put the event together was inspiring for the kids and for the parents, and she said she also was overwhelmed by the commitment seen from the various communities from businesses that poured in their support to make it happen.
However, she said the most important aspect of the convention was the simple act of bringing all of the FFA kids together, where they could connect, reunite and enjoy interaction.
“That social aspect of their lives has been taken away from them the past year, and seeing them enjoying one another’s company, taking in the motivational speakers, having a chance to meet together in person is something they need. They thrive on that, and it has been difficult on the kids to have that taken away for so long. I can’t thank the teachers and sponsors enough,” Schafrath said.
With all of the activities connected with the convention, it certainly allowed the students a chance to feel some semblance of normalcy again, and many of them were excited to be able to reconnect with old friends, make new ones and enjoy activities together as an FFA group.
Ethan Feikert from West Holmes Schools said being part of the district to host the event made it even more special for the Knights’ FFA members.
“This is really cool and really important to see this happen, and we appreciate the ag teachers who made it happen,” Feikert said. “It has made it feel like an actual state convention, and we get a chance to all get together and get recognized in front of our peers for the things we accomplished the past year. It’s something we haven’t experienced for a long time, and it feels really cool to see it happen, and we are proud as a host to be a part of it.”