Williamson Attends Washington Leadership Conference

Courtesy of Montgomery County Future Farmers of America (FFA)

Montgomery County FFA Officer and Member Hannah Williamson recently traveled to Washington D.C. for the National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Washington Leadership Conference.

Williamson was 1 of 26 Georgia FFA students who received a scholarship, which was provided by DOT Foods, to attend the conference. During the week, Williamson explored the historic location, as she was guided by agricultural and leadership professionals, facilitators, and FFA staff members. She attended workshops, seminars, small group activities, and visited national landmarks, such as the National Mall, Arlington National Cemetery, Smithsonian Museums, and the U.S. Capitol. Each day of the Conference focused on a different principle taught through the context of the nation’s capital, and included exploration, encouragement, advocacy, and service.

Also, during the event, Williamson was able to participate in congressional visits with Georgia legislators, during which she shared concerns and challenges from her community, and discussed agriculture-related legislation.

Williamson participated in a service project during the Conference, during which she worked with Meals of Hope to create meals to be delivered to those in need. This act of service helped to inspire Williamson’s planning of her own Living to Serve Plan – a civic engagement project that she will complete now that she is back home. To develop this plan, Williamson analyzed the needs of her community, and combined that with her passion for agriculture and service, to create a plan to expand agricultural literacy to children in Montgomery County.

“Washington Leadership Conference has been one of the best experiences I have had to grow myself as a person and leader. Here I learned that change makers are heroes in our society because they are able to make a difference. They find problems in their communities and create solutions to bring change. I have enjoyed making new friendships with others around the country and my state while learning about service and can’t wait to apply my own Living to Serve plan in my home and community to make a difference,” she reflected.

The Washington Leadership Conference has been held for more than 50 years, and is the second-largest student experience that the National FFA Organization hosts each year. More than 1,700 students from across the nation attended the conference, as the group worked to engage with legislators, hone civic engagement and leadership skills and create community impact projects to take back to their cities and towns.