Alannah Abrams, graduate member of the Liberty-Benton High School FFA Chapter was one of 46 state winners participating in the 2009 National FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking Career Development Event (CDE). The competition was held Oct. 21-24, during the 82nd National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Abrams presented a speech on International Agricultural Marketing and answered questions about the topic from a panel of judges. After being named a finalist from the preliminary round, she advanced to the national semi-finals where she placed in the top 16 in the nation with a silver rating. Abrams is the daughter of Alan and Nancy Abrams of rural Findlay, and is currently a freshman at the University of Findlay majoring in Political Science and Pre-law.
The Extemporaneous Public Speaking CDE is designed to recognize outstanding FFA members for their ability to prepare and present a factual speech on a specific agricultural issue. Members select one topic from a choice of categories, prepare a four-to six-minute speech in 30 minutes and respond to five minutes of questions following delivery.
The National FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking CDE is sponsored by American Farm Bureau Federation as a special project of the National FFA Foundation. It is one of 23 different national events that use the fun of competition to connect classroom learning and careers.
The National FFA Organization, formerly known as the Future Farmers of America, is a national youth organization of 506,199 student members -- all preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture -- as part of 7,429 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The National FFA Organization changed to its present name in 1988, in recognition of the growth and diversity of agriculture and agricultural education.
The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA Organization operates under a Federal Charter granted by the 81st Congress of the United States, and is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. Visit www.ffa.org for more information.
