Over the weekend of November 10 to 13, 2022, four UTM students, Sarah Tyler, Bree Mills, Savannah Crowder and Jordan Stringfield, traveled to Kansas City, Missouri, to attend the Agriculture Future of America Leadership Conference.
The AFA Leadership Conference had over 800 students in attendance this year. These students travel from all over the United States to attend. This conference allows students to strengthen their leadership and professional skills through networking and gaining knowledge/advice from agriculture industry professionals. Students are provided one-on-one discussion time with industry leaders to discuss their roles in the agriculture industry and learn how to grow their leadership skills.
The focus of this conference is to teach young agriculture industry leaders how to succeed by giving them the tools and resources they need to transition into the professional workplace. All students that attend are given opportunities that are hard to find in such a small industry as agriculture. By attending, students are left with memories and skills that they will carry with them throughout their lives.
This conference is strategically planned, and students are divided into groups, otherwise known as ātracks,ā that focus on what a student in their year of school would need to know in certain areas. This allows for more of a relaxed and comfortable environment for all participants. During the conference, AFA hosts different events like networking meals, an opportunity fair and socials that allow for students to have time to discuss experiences, internship opportunities and job possibilities with agriculture leaders.
This conference is a great way to build skills that will set agriculture students up for success. Understanding the importance of skills learned at this conference is crucial for post-college endeavors. Each student from UTM had an amazing time and created memories to last a lifetime.
