THE WRATH OF Hurricane Beryl couldn’t stop the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo from presenting 70 students, representing 57 Future Farmers of America chapters from across Texas, with $1.4 million in scholarships to a college of their choice. Scholarships were awarded at last week’s 96th annual Texas FFA State Convention which, amazingly, was held July 8-12 in the George R. Brown Convention Center for the first time in 20 years. The scholarship awards are part of Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s $27.3 million dollar commitment this year to support Texas youth and statewide educational programs.

“The tradition of awarding Texas FFA scholarships has been the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s longest-standing educational commitment,” said Chris Boleman, president and CEO of the Rodeo in a statement. “The passionate link between the Rodeo and FFA for livestock and agriculture makes these scholarships even more special.”

Despite delays and closures caused by Hurricane Beryl, including the loss of power in George R. Brown on the first day of the convention, FFA members from all across Texas managed to attend, and even visit some parts of the city. On Monday, attendees took part in workshops in the dark and by the light of cell phone cameras, and throughout the week, both students and adults used TikTok to share their experiences.

FFA is a student-led leadership development organization for students of agricultural education. Since its establishment in 1929, the Texas FFA Association has provided students through its agricultural science curriculum classroom learning and hands-on agricultural projects, while developing their potential for leadership, personal growth, and career success.

And which colleges do these young scholars plan to attend? Among the 70 FFA scholarship recipients, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, West Texas A&M University and Sam Houston State University are the top four choices. The top four majors include Animal Science, Agricultural Business, Agricultural Communications and Pre-Veterinary Medicine.