The month of November was one for the record this year, with FFA members in Casper, Wyoming, the Wyoming Association of Student Council in Cheyenne, Skills USA members in Casper, and the district band and choir at Northwest College.
The Powell-Shoshone FFA Chapter took nearly 20 freshman and sophomore students to the FIRE (Finding Inspiration and Reaching Success) conference in Casper, WY. At the same time, Meisja McCrary and Kate Mainwaring attended the CPC conference (Chapter Presidents conference). While neither is president, McCrary is running for state office, and Mainwaring was third in line to attend. Both had the opportunity to vote on topics in the Wyoming FFA Association.
Both McCrary and Mainwaring are experienced in attending the conference, while for many, it was a new experience.
“I learned to be a better leader,” freshman Blake Bessler said. “I learned about what it means to be in FFA and why I should stay; you also get to go to a fun dance.”
While Bessler elaborated more on the companionship and fun activities of the conference, other members were more focused on the keynote speaker and the leadership development.
“We had a really good keynote speaker on Friday that I really enjoyed,” freshman Ivy Lennon said. “Then we had a dance after that, and then we had some classes the following day. I went because I figured it would be fun, and I love spending time with my FFA chapter. I really enjoyed the speaker and the classes the next day.”
FFA’s fall conference was focused on leadership and character development, while Skills USA’s fall conference was heavy on developing good communication skills and strong friendships.
“SkillsUSA Fall Leadership Conference is a conference designed to help build the leadership, teamwork, and personal development of members,” senior Brooklyn Neeves said. “The design of FLC is to create an engaging learning atmosphere where you get to not only learn about yourself and SkillsUSA, but you can also learn about others and create new friendships.”
Neves serves as a State Skills USA officer and is very familiar with and instrumental in the development of FLC. However, the main principles of the conference are received by attendees as well as by officers.
“I went to interact with others, learn about what Skills USA is all about, to get the framework down and to help me figure out what events and fields I was interested in,” freshman Huston Dearcorn said. “I learned that teamwork is crucial in the workplace, and that hard things are more easily attainable alongside others, and how the framework connects to everyday life.”
With Skills USA focused on connection and personal development, WASC aims to discuss new ideas and collaborate.
“WASC is where every student council from across the state comes…they come and meet up to kind of just share their experiences as student councils and [talk about] what they do for fundraisers and to pretty much just learn and workshops,” senior Mason Coombs said. “The main idea is that all of these councils will come together and kind of collaborate…because we want to see that a lot across the state.”
Aside from fall leadership conferences, the top twenty percent of band and choir students attended the district band and choir workshop and concert.
“I went because I felt it would be a fun and helpful experience to sing in a group larger than my own,” senior Justin Dusenberry said. “I learned a lot about choral music and how stylistically it differentiates from band music since I have been in band a lot longer than choir.”
The choir was more apt to learn about different styles of music, whereas the district band was more excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with other members of the same advancement.
“The District Band serves as a remarkable opportunity for students within our district to come together and show their instrumental skills in a collaborative environment,” junior Lily Pittman said. “During my time in the District Band, I gained valuable insights into the opportunities available at Northwest College and discovered innovative approaches to music learning. It was fascinating to observe the unique conducting style of our band director, who shared his personal journey and the steps he took to achieve success in his career.”