By Shelby Shank
Field Editor
Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) Thrive event equipped high school seniors to be future leaders and advocate for agriculture.
The three-day event focused on leadership development and strengthening public speaking skills. Students also learned about the free enterprise system, personal branding, agricultural advocacy and financial management.
Over 130 students across Texas attended the event.
“Thrive provides students with opportunities to grow personally and professionally while learning how their unique skills can contribute to agriculture,” said Dr. Clarissa Darby, TFB Youth Outreach coordinator. “These students leave with new skills, connections and a better understanding of how they can make an impact in agriculture and beyond.”
Throughout the event, students practiced their public speaking skills with Jeff Klose, an agricultural science teacher and FFA advisor at Canyon High School, who guided them through the fundamentals of effective communication. Elizabeth Galbreath, founder and CEO of Cultivate Growth Co., then encouraged students to apply those skills to build careers and relationships that make a lasting impact.
The event also helped students prepare for life beyond high school through sessions focused on personal finance and career development.
“The ‘It’s Your Money,’ workshop was more intensive than other workshops, but for good reason,” said Tabitha Reifel, a senior from Galveston County. “It helped me figure out that I will need to budget in the future because of what career I want to go into.”
A session on etiquette and career readiness encouraged students to think about how they present themselves and prepare for future opportunities.
“One of my biggest takeaways was keeping my resume updated and putting a QR code on a business card linking to my resume,” Reifel said. “I’d never thought about doing that before, and it really opened my eyes to what’s ahead for me.”
Sessions on agricultural advocacy challenged students to better understand issues impacting agriculture and how they can effectively share their story.
“If we don’t share agriculture’s story, we can’t expect someone else to tell it for us,” said Campbell Baron, a senior from Medina County. “There’s a growing disconnect between consumers and producers, and many people have never met a farmer or rancher. By using our voices and sharing our experiences, we can help bridge that gap and give people a better understanding of where their food comes from.”
About the event
Students who attended Thrive are eligible to participate in TFB’s AgVentures Challenge and win associated scholarships, as well as apply for the TFB Dick Mitchell Memorial Scholarship valued at $1,000.
Thrive is a part of TFB’s Student Success Series, which includes programs for students in eighth through twelfth grades. 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.
Thrive was held July 31 through Aug. 2 in Waco at TFB’s Conference and Training Center.
For more information about the Student Success Series, visit texasfarmbureau.org/student-success-series.
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