KWOS Jefferson City News Authority
Columbia’s hotels, restaurants and shops have been packed, as more than 5,000 high school students who are part of FFA attend the 96th annual State FFA convention.
Mizzou senior Grant Norfleet has been at the Hearnes Center: he’s from mid-Missouri’s Mexico and serves as the national secretary for the National FFA. Centralia high school FFA advisor Scott Stone tells 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” that Grant is a phenomenal individual.
“You know the connections that Grant is going to make over the course of this next year, I know that he was at the pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkey at the White House (with President Biden in November). You know you make those connections and you meet people that later in life can take you to a lot of different places and open a lot of different doors,” Mr. Stone says.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson (R) will deliver this afternoon’s keynote address at the Hearnes Center, and the FFA members will also hear from UM System President Dr. Mun Choi. The closing ceremony is also this afternoon.
Mr. Stone says the FFA is also providing career development events.
“Where students dive into different career opportunities. You know one is poultry evaluation where the students learn all about the poultry industry. One of the newest contests that we have in Missouri is about food science,” says Stone.
The thousands of high school students are wearing their traditional blue jackets, as they enjoy Columbia. The economic impact to Columbia from the convention is estimated to be about $2-million, with a lot of that spending on hotels, restaurants and shops.
