By Shelby Shank
Field Editor

Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) Thrive event helped empower and inspire high school seniors to be future agricultural leaders.

The three-day event was designed to equip students with leadership and public speaking skills. Students collaborated with their peers and learned about personal branding, agricultural advocacy and the free enterprise system.

“Thrive was designed to help high school students examine and uncover their personal attributes and abilities, as well as inspire them to better develop their skills for their future careers and advocating for agriculture,” McKenna Bush, TFB youth outreach coordinator, said.

Participants also learned about money management and the power of emotional intelligence.  Among the hands-on activities was a media engagement training where students created content for social media and participated in a mock TV interview.

Over 70 students across the Lone Star State attended the event.

“One of my favorite things about Thrive is networking with other like-minded kids and industry professionals,” Claire Puckett, a senior from Smith County, said. “I had friends who went through Thrive last year. I asked them questions about the program, and they told me it was one of their favorite experiences. I wanted to have the same experience as them and enhance my communication and leadership skills.”

Learning opportunities like Thrive help students step out of their comfort zones and strengthen their abilities to lead.

“Everybody wants to build upon their future, and Thrive is a great way for kids like me to do that. I’ve been able to network with other students and industry professionals,” Robert Sanchez, a senior from La Salle County, said. “Being a part of an organization like Texas Farm Bureau is going to help me in the long run, but being able to use the tools that Thrive gave me is going to set me apart from my peers and take me further in college and my future career.”

Students were able to ask questions from industry experts about careers, leadership opportunities and how to be a strong agricultural advocate.

“Through Thrive, I learned how important your story is. You can present the facts, but whenever you are sharing a story, you are painting a picture for the listener, and it creates a point of connection,” Allison Martin, a senior from Lampasas County, said.

Students who attended Thrive are eligible to participate in TFB’s AgVentures Challenge, win associated scholarships and are also eligible to apply for the Dick Mitchell Memorial Scholarship.

Thrive is a part of TFB’s Student Success Series, which includes virtual and in-person programs for students in eighth through twelfth grade. The Student Success Series aims to help students develop a better understanding of advocacy, learn more about Farm Bureau and grow personal and professional skills they can use in the classroom and future careers.

The Thrive event took place Aug. 4-6 in Waco at TFB’s Conference and Training Center.

For more information about the Student Success Series, visit texasfarmbureau.org/student-success-series.