At the 2025 Delaware FFA State Convention, rows of students in their signature blue corduroy jackets gathered at University of Delaware’s Bob Carpenter Center to compete in professional competitions and connect with their peers. FFA allows students from elementary school through college to engage in agricultural activities and professional development that prepare them for careers across a variety of sectors. Students and teachers alike see FFA as a place to find belonging and community with those with similar interests and professional goals. The convention held this year at UD drew students from across Delaware to compete in various competitions and tour the campus to see if UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources was a good fit for them.

Kaitlyn Bradley, a senior agriculture and natural resources major at the University of Delaware, found that her hands-on experiences on farms and in the livestock industry come together with economics to bridge the gap between agricultural sales and what farmers actually need.

Many students seeking careers in agriculture grew up on or near a farm, but for Evyn Appel, a senior honors sustainable food systems major and the 2025 convocation speaker, an interest in food systems grew while living in Philadelphia. She was surrounded by not only fantastic restaurants and international flavor, but also the food system problems and its lack of access and affordability. She is motivated to find solutions.