Ferguson College of Agriculture

Collegiate clubs are an integral part of many colleges and universities. These are places where students often find like-minded people, share ideas, and many times, work toward a common goal. Savannah Miller, Collegiate FFA (CFFA) club president, explained the CFFA club is where she “found her people.”

Miller, an agricultural education junior, did not come to college with an FFA background. However, she knew she wanted to become an agricultural educator and advocate for the industry in urban spaces. Knowing this, Miller joined the CFFA club to learn more about agriculture and, ultimately, become the best educator she can be, Miller explained.

With the mission of equipping students with skills to become the best agricultural educators they can be, the CFFA club works to give college students hands-on experiences that will prepare them for the classroom, Miller shared. Through a mix of networking, social and professional events, the CFFA club is a place where any student can find community and learn more about agricultural education, she said.

CFFA hosts multiple events throughout the year; however, their largest event is the annual FFA invitational speech contest, Miller shared. This year, nearly 500 Oklahoma FFA students from across the state registered to compete at the on-campus event. For the evening, CFFA brought food trucks and an interactive photo booth experience to campus, Miller explained.

CFFA club treasurer, Edie Tillery, is a freshman agricultural education student. Tillery came to college with an FFA background and knew she wanted to be a CFFA member from the start, she explained.

The speech contest relies heavily on student, alumni and community volunteers to judge at the event. This year, 130 volunteers showed up to help, Miller and Tillery explained.

“It helps us develop a bigger appreciation, not only for the people putting [the contest] on, but also the judges,” Tillery said. “It means the world to us, because without them, we would not have a contest.”

Not only does the speech contest offer OSU students and alumni the chance to collaborate and learn, but it also allows current FFA members to visit campus. Sharing the family-like atmosphere of Ferguson College of Agriculture is a special part of the event, Miller mentioned. Furthermore, the contest grants the CFFA club an opportunity to explain what they do and how they could play a role in students' lives later, Miller shared. The contest also gives FFA students a chance to begin fostering connections with faculty and students on the OSU campus, Tillery said.

“It is really cool to see how quickly people are willing to come together for something good for the industry,” Miller said.

To learn more about the OSU Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership or the CFFA club, visit the website.