By: Jacob Ruscher
Four agriculture students from Carlyle High School will attend the Elite Conference on
Sept. 20 at Heartland Community College in Normal, Ill.
The Elite Conference is an annual event where high school students go to further their
knowledge in agriculture education.
When students attend this conference, they’ll “learn the process of ag education. This
includes the three parts of ag education focused workshops, which includes classroom, FFA,
SAE projects,” said agriculture teacher Courtney Ibendahl.
Each chapter gets to select four students to bring to the Elite Conference. This year,
Carlyle High School is sending senior Samantha Heinzmann, junior Kaelyn Cox, sophomore
Cooper Diekemper, and freshman Sawyer Johnson to the event.
Heinzmann is very excited to be able to go to the Elite Conference again.
“I attended the conference my sophomore year. I’m most excited to be a part of the
veteran’s group, which is basically where all returning members get separated. They have
different material and activities than the other side of the Elite Conference,” said Heinzmann.