Carrington FFA members make impact in Washington

Isabel Wendel, Sierra Friedt, Mercedes Lura, London Davis, Brekka Kuss, Abby Lee, Bailey Ness, Molly Hansen, Jacob Hinrichs, Ashley Lindberg, and Kelsi Neuman, of the Carrington FFA Chapter, attended the 2024 Washington Leadership Conference (WLC), July 9-14 in the nation's capital.

The conference is an activity of the National FFA Organization. The FFA members were able to have this life-changing experience with the help of scholarships from the North Dakota FFA Alumni and North Dakota FFA Foundation. Members also received sponsorship from the Carrington FFA Alumni. Fundraisers were also held to help defray the cost of attending the conference.

Located in Washington, D.C., the Washington Leadership Conference is a five-day event that trains FFA members to make a positive impact in their school, local community, state, and country. The conference focuses on the following areas: problem solving, relationship building, living with character and developing an attitude for serving others.

The capstone event of the Washington Leadership Conference is a civic engagement activity, which takes leadership and service learning to new standards. Students assisted with a Meals of Hope project that packaged over 60,000 meals that will be distributed in the Washington, D.C., area.

The National FFA Organization coordinates WLC, which attracts participants from across the country. This summer, more than 1,800 FFA members will attend one of the conference's six week-long sessions.

Students increase their understanding of the nation's heritage with visits to Arlington National Cemetery, the Jefferson, Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, WWII, Korean and Vietnam memorials, the United State Senate, the national museums and other historic sights in Washington, D.C.

The students were also able to visit North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer and the Capitol.