The SVHS FFA departed for the Wyoming State FFA Convention on Tuesday, April 8, to compete in events held from April 9–11. The convention took place in Cheyenne, WY, at Laramie County Community College. FFA members had been working diligently to refine both their individual and team skills in preparation for this competition.

Leading up to the convention, members prepared by meeting with their specific teams after school to practice together. When asked about her preparation, Evalyn Andrus shared, “I’m on the FBM (Farm Business Management) Agriculture team. We’re a team of four, and we’ve been practicing for two hours every week for quite some time. Every Tuesday and Wednesday after school, we study as a group to prepare for our competition.” Evalyn has focused on topics related to managing a farm business, including memorizing equations and learning how to interpret a balance sheet. All of the teams have invested significant time and effort, and their hard work truly paid off.

In addition to the competitions, participants had a variety of opportunities to explore and engage with others. Sammantha Bramwell explained, “This week during the state convention, there will be multiple opportunities and events that members can participate in. These include tours of nearby facilities for members who aren’t competing that day.” SVHS had several teams participating in the competitions, including Poultry Judging, Ag Mechanics, Farm Business Management (FBM), Ag Sales, Livestock Judging, Horse Judging, and the Greenhand Quizbowl.

The FFA members share a close bond, often referring to each other as part of their “FFA family.” Before heading to the convention, freshman Evalyn Andrus expressed the team’s excitement, saying, “We as a team are very excited to compete at state this week!” The students were thrilled to have the opportunity to compete and enjoy the experience together. They spent time celebrating each other’s victories and enjoying each other’s company throughout the week.

At the state competition, SVHS teams performed well:

• Ag Mechanics placed 11th out of 47 teams

• Greenhand Quizbowl placed 18th out of 35

• FBM placed 13th out of 15

• Horse Judging placed 9th out of 34

• Livestock Judging placed 24th out of 44

• Poultry Judging placed 22nd out of 38

In addition, one SVHS senior, Bridger Wolfley, ran for a state FFA office. Bramwell shared, “While the rest of the chapter is competing and attending events, Bridger Wolfley has been dedicating his time to running for state office. He’s been going from one interview to the next, hoping to make the final cut.” After a busy week of interviews and activities, Wolfley learned that he had been elected as the Wyoming State FFA Reporter.