Penn Yan FFA welcomed more than a dozen area chapters to town as it hosted the District 8 FFA Leadership Development Event (LDE) competitions, bringing together middle and high school students for a day focused on communication, leadership, and service.
Students competed in 13 different events at both junior and senior levels. Contests included Creed Speaking, Prepared Public Speaking, Extemporaneous Public Speaking, People in Agriculture, Conduct of Chapter Meeting, Parliamentary Procedure, Agricultural Issues, and Employment Skills, among others.
“Penn Yan FFA was excited to host over 12 chapters in the region for the District 8 LDE competitions,” said Carlie Bossard, agriculture teacher and FFA advisor. “These events give students the opportunity to grow their confidence, strengthen their leadership skills, and apply what they’ve learned in the classroom in a real-world setting.”
Advancing competitors include from Penn Yan:
- Clarie Sandstrom — 1st Place, Senior Prepared Speaking
- Elizabeth Lilyea — 1st Place, Senior Extemporaneous Speaking
- Meggie Pratt — 4th Place, Senior Extemporaneous Speaking
- Zoe Zeigler — 2nd Place, Senior Creed Speaking
- Jordan Beauman — 2nd Place, Junior Prepared Speaking
- Penn Yan FFA Parliamentary Procedure Team — 1st Place (Claire, Lizzie, Sarah, Rachel, Alyssa, Lilliana)
Additional notable performances included:
- Dylan Martinez — 1st Place, Spanish Creed Speaking. This newly introduced district contest qualifies him to compete at the state level in May.
- Bri Teeter — 5th Place, Senior Creed Speaking
- Alexa Breeds — 6th Place, Senior Creed Speaking
- Chloe Hinkal — 9th Place, Senior People in Agriculture
- Jordan Hansen — 10th Place, Senior People in Agriculture
- Vivian Little — 6th in flight, Junior People in Agriculture
- Rylee Kemp — 9th in flight, Junior People in Agriculture
- Sarah Hall — 6th in flight, Employment Skills
- Gavin Bicksler — 7th in flight, Employment Skills
Bossard emphasized that the event’s success depended on a broad team effort. “We are thankful for all the advisors preparing their students for competition and for transportation departments for getting them safely to and from the competitions,” she said. “We would also like to thank the over 40 volunteers who came to help judge contests and give students feedback.”
In addition to the competitions, students also took part in a hands-on community service project organized by District 8 President Lizzie Lilyea. Partnering with Meals of Hope, FFA members and advisors packaged 10,000 macaroni and cheese meals throughout the day. Students rotated through the service activity between contests, helping assemble meals that chapters will distribute through their local food pantries.
The district extended special thanks to its gold-level sponsors who helped make the service project possible: Dann Auctioneers, Penn Yan Lions Club, First Presbyterian Church, Leslie and Wanda Wood, and the Penn Yan Moose.