Welcome Back to SBFFA from Chapter President, Olivia Nugent
10/13/2023 6:41 pm
Note from the Alumni President: My apologies to the Chapter President, Olivia Nugent. This article was submitted to me in August and it has taken me this long to get it published.
The Chapter and the officers were very active and busy over the summer with conferences, workshops, leadership camps, and so much more. Meet our 2023-2024 Spring Branch FFA Chapter President, Olivia Nugent. Not only is she our Chapter President, she is also Area 3 Vice President! Read on for a report from Olivia....
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Welcome back, Spring Branch FFA! My name is Olivia Nugent, and I'm currently serving as the Spring Branch FFA President and Area 3 Vice President. This summer the chapter officer team has worked so hard gearing up for school, events, and making this year so much more fun than ever before. We started the summer with an introduction officer meeting, setting our goals for the chapter, and really making sure to keep the members in mind.
Pictured here, Olivia Nugent, after placing fourth in the state in Public Speak, Agribusiness
2023-2024 Spring Branch FFA Officer Team
I had the opportunity to travel to Lubbock, Texas, with my area officer team to attend the State Leadership Conference (SLC) put on by the Texas State Officers. When I decided to run for district and eventually area office, this was the kind of event I was looking forward to. I got to meet area officers from all across the state, grow closer with my own officer team, and learn many skills I could bring all the way back to Spring Branch.
After the SLC, it was crunch time to prepare for Area Leadership Conference (ALC). Another chapter member, Camden Hopper, attended ALC, hosted by my area officer team. We made the same connections with people across our area, ranging from Katy to Galveston, and all the way out to Crosby. I saw her team grow closer together, and grow into stronger leaders.
Olivia Nugent and Camden Hopper at Area Leadership Conference
District Leadership Conference
The biggest week of the year for Texas FFA is the 95th Annual Texas FFA State Convention, where the officer team, ambassador team, and a few lucky individuals who won awards, all traveled to Dallas, Texas for the most fun-filled week of the year. I started by giving my prepared public speaking speech on Monday and placed fourth in my category. Spring Branch was recognized more than once that week. We had two state champions, Emily Valicek won her category in the “Star Award” in agribusiness, and Nicole Erazo won her category in the “Proficiency Award” in Vet Science. We also had four “Lonestar Degree” winners, the highest student degree given at the state level. Andrew Johnson, Trey Clark, Angela Sangronis-Perez and I, (pictured below), were recognized on stage for the hours and money put into our SAE projects over the course of three years.
Lonestar Award Recipients: Olivia Nugent, Trey Clark, Andrew Johnson, Angela Sanronis-Perez
When we weren’t busy proudly representing Spring Branch, we were able to attend workshops, general and business sessions, shop in the expo, and watch speeches from other students. All of the students we took with us were also able to serve as voting delegates, voting on the next state officer team, our national officer candidate, and on the amendments proposed during the business session. That one week in Dallas is what sets the tone for the rest of the year, and it's safe to say we had so much fun!
Having fun at State Convention
