07/02/2026
What an incredible week for our GCMS FFA members at the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC)! 🇺🇸💙💛
From June 21–27, our members Natalie Aberle, Sarah Higgins, and Keiragan Young had the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., where they made new friends from across the country, strengthened their leadership skills, and developed meaningful Living to Serve (LTS) projects that they will bring back to our community.
The week began with travel from St. Louis to Washington, D.C. Before the conference officially started, the Illinois delegation visited Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, to learn about his life and legacy. They also experienced the solemn Changing of the Guard and a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
Students continued exploring our nation’s history with visits to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Museum of American History, gaining a deeper appreciation for the people and events that have shaped our country.
Once the Washington Leadership Conference began, our members participated in leadership workshops, small community groups, and large conference sessions focused on developing themselves as servant leaders. One highlight of the week was an unforgettable evening tour of Washington, D.C., including stops at the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, World War II Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima).
Throughout the remainder of the week, students toured the U.S. Capitol, the Library of Congress, and the U.S. Botanic Garden, while also exploring several Smithsonian museums and experiencing many of the historic sites that make our nation’s capital so special.
As a part of a special project- Sarah, was selected to be featured in the week’s “We Will” video! She shared the importance of serving others and highlighted the Living to Serve project she will bring back to our community during the National Days of Service, July 26–August 1.
We are incredibly proud of these young leaders for representing GCMS FFA, Illinois FFA, and our community so well. A HUGE THANK YOU to our GCMS FFA Boosters for sponsoring the cost for our members to attend! We can’t wait to see the positive impact they’ll make with everything they learned this past week!
