By Gary Lee Stuber
Clay County FFA students had a very good year. Local, regional and state competitions saw many Clay County High School FFA participants place in top ten awards. The Clay County Board of Education funded their trip to nationals this year for five days in Indianapolis, a fine reward for hard work. Spearheaded by Kelsey McFarland and Robert Morris with the support of County Ag. Agent Michael Shamblin, 19 students were rewarded with this honor. For some of them, this may be the first time past the western border of West Virginia.
Students participating and the teams they represent are:
Agricultural Sales: Evan Bass, Adi Belt, Jeffery Lowery and Elijah Paxton.
Dairy Cattle: Hailey Rogers, Lillian Tucker, Natalie Caldwell and Skyler Lane.
Environmental Science: Parker Taylor, Kaylah Kennedy, Madison Morton and Hollie Conley.
Food Science: Akira Stuber, Juliana Metheny and Skylar Adkins.
Entomology: Tomothy Rhodes, Savannah Rhodes, Lydia Shamblin and Eric Keiffer.
Chaperones include: Kelsey McFarland, Michael Shamblin, Robert Morris, Anatlia Williams and Paisley Hawk.
Paisley would meet them at the Cedar Lakes location where all of them would take Charter Busses to Indianapolis with other state students. Bob Morris teased Kelsey that he didn’t have midwife training, as Kelsey is eight months pregnant. She laughed. All the students present for the 6:30 AM bus ride from the Clay County High School on Tuesday, October 22, gathered for a photo. Bob and Kelsey pretty much framed them on either end. There were others not present who were being picked up on the way.
Bob suggested it would be sometime late Tuesday when they would get to Indianapolis and would be delayed a little as students would be treated to supper at Cracker Barrel on the way.
Also among those on this excursion was Trenton Bradley, his wife Sarah, and their baby Jaylin Rose. Trenton was this year’s American Degree Recipient.
Activities at the National FFA Convention were scheduled from 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday through Friday. The students would return to Clay County High School on Saturday October 26.
Students will make many memories and perhaps return with more honors and awards.
