Rhodes Wins State FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking Leadership Development Event

Eleanor Rhodes of the Lomira FFA Chapter was named the state winner of the FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking Leadership Development Event (LDE). The Extemporaneous Public Speaking LDE was held at the 96th State Convention of the Wisconsin Association of FFA in Madison, Wisconsin. Rhode’s advisors are Paige Petersen and Dan Robinson.
To qualify for the state finals, students must compete in several other contests including district contest, sectional contest, and finally the state semi-finals in Madison.
The Extemporaneous Public Speaking LDE is designed to allow students participating to showcase their agricultural knowledge and ability to think on their feet by giving a speech and answering questions with limited prep time.
The other finalists were:
2nd Place: Jadyn Thawmert - Unity FFA

3rd Place: Jaime Damm - Columbus FFA
4th Place: Tyler Leusch - Waunakee FFA
The State FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking LDE is sponsored at the state level by Wisconsin FFA Convention Partners.
Rhodes will represent Wisconsin at the 98th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, this November. The national winner will be selected from a group of state finalists and will receive a plaque and additional scholarship money sponsored by American Farm Bureau Federation, Invenergy and Nationwide Foundation.
About Wisconsin Association of FFA:
The Wisconsin Association of FFA is a leading student organization due to the efforts of 253 FFA Chapters across the state. With a focus on premier leadership, personal growth and career success, students’ FFA activities complement agricultural classroom instruction by giving them an opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge while gaining real-world experience. These activities are dependent on donor funding through the Wisconsin FFA Foundation. The FFA is also supported by the Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association. For more information about Wisconsin FFA, the Wisconsin FFA Foundation and the Wisconsin FFA Alumni visit https://wisconsinaged.org.