Iroquois West FFA Chapter

The final day of convention was one to remember! Most of our chapter got the opportunity to sleep in before heading to the convention center for the last day of activities. After all the hype and excitement that Peyton Howe and Logan Wagner brought to the morning, our two outstanding delegates, Eddie Wagner and Lauren Hull, had the opportunity to participate in the delegate session, where they helped choose and vote on the future leaders of Illinois FFA for the upcoming year. After the delegate session, we enjoyed lunch together, attended the final general session, and then began our journey home. While convention week has come to an end, the memories, experiences, and lessons learned will stay with us for years to come. We would also like to extend a huge thank you to our FFA Alumni for making this trip possible. Your support in helping fund meals and other expenses allowed our members to fully experience everything the Illinois State FFA Convention has to offer. Finally, we want to express our deepest gratitude to our amazing advisor, Mrs. Howe. The countless hours, dedication, and commitment you pour into our chapter do not go unnoticed. Thank you for everything you do to provide opportunities like this and for helping make this such a remarkable and memorable trip for all of us.

IW FFA Reporter Peyton Howe

Day 1 at the Illinois State Convention in Springfield was a great start to the week! 🇺🇸 We began the day with a tour of Abraham Lincoln’s home, learning more about the life and legacy of one of our nation’s greatest presidents. Afterward, we grabbed lunch at Culver’s before heading to the hotel to relax and recharge. Later, we made our way to the convention center for our first session, the 2nd General Session of the Illinois State Convention. A highlight of the evening was watching Beau Howe and Owen Pree get recognized for their American Degrees, an incredible accomplishment and well-deserved honor! To wrap up an amazing first day, we enjoyed dinner at the excellent Italian restaurant Saptuo’s. Looking forward to everything the rest of the convention has in store!

ConventionWeek ProudMoment

On Thursday, the FCCLA and FFA came together to honor the heroes who gave so much for our country by placing American flags and wooden crosses at the gravesites of veterans in the Onarga Cemetery. Walking through the cemetery and seeing the rows of flags waving in the breeze is truly breathtaking and serves as a powerful reminder that freedom comes at a cost. Each flag represents a life of courage, sacrifice, and service that should never be forgotten. We are deeply grateful to all of our veterans and their families for the sacrifices they made for our nation. Their legacy continues to live on through acts of remembrance like this.

IW FFA Reporter Peyton Howe

Today, members of the IW FFA had the honor of going to the Gilman Cemetery to place flags at the gravesites of our veterans. There is something truly breathtaking about seeing all of those flags waving in the wind, each one representing the sacrifice and service of those who gave so much for our country.
Great job to everyone who helped today, and a special thank you to Darla for inviting us to be part of this meaningful tradition.

If you missed the opportunity today, we will be back at it at the Onarga Cemetery on Thursday at 4:00.

IW FFA Reporter Peyton Howe

Thank you to everyone who came out over the past two weeks to support the hard work of our IW Horticulture students. We are very close to reaching our break-even point, which is always our goal.

With that in mind, and because our petunias are growing so quickly, we will be holding two additional plant sales next Thursday and Friday from 4:00–6:00 p.m. Any leftover plants will be donated to local nursing homes, the students who planted and cultivated them, or disposed of.

We appreciate your continued support and hope to see you there!

IW FFA Reporter Peyton Howe

Come support the Iroquois West Horticulture class out at The Gathering! They will be there from Noon until 3:00 today.

IW FFA Reporter Peyton Howe

Come support the Iroquois West Horticulture class. They will be selling their plants at The Gathering from Noon until 3:00 today. And they have a really cute apprentice helping them!

IW FFA Plant Sales start on tomorrow:
Thursday, May 7th - 4-7
Friday, May 8th - 4-7
Saturday, May 9th -12-3 @ the greenhouse AND The Gathering!!

Thank you again Cathy Schoolman Perzee for your never ending support of our FFA chapter ❤️

Tonight, five very deserving seniors were awarded the FFA Alumni Scholarship. This scholarship recognizes not only academic achievement, but also the involvement, dedication, and commitment each student has shown to our chapter throughout their FFA career.
We are proud of all they have accomplished and grateful for the impact they have made on the Iroquois West FFA Chapter. As they begin the next chapter of their lives, we wish them the very best in all their future endeavors. We hope they will always remember their roots and one day consider giving back to the program as FFA alumni.
Congratulations to Chloe Wagner, Gretchen Willms, Aubrey Chandler, Wyatt Breen, and Amelia Scharp.

IW FFA Reporter Peyton Howe