Meeker FFA President Connor Benn is in the top four in the nation for speech writing.
“It’s super cool just to see the amount of work he has put in to becoming a better public speaker,” Meeker AG instructor Logan Johns said.
Benn won the state contest, which moved him to nationals.
Students from 16 states submitted videos for the contest. Those students were randomly divided into four brackets. Benn’s speech won in his bracket and moved into the finals.
Thursday, Benn will find out the results of the contest and see where his speech landed.
First place wins $1,000, second place wins $500 and third place $250.
“I think Connor has the ability to win,” Johns said. It was a virtual presentation, so Benn wrote the speech, recorded himself giving it and answered questions regarding the topic.
Benn speech was about a patch that is placed on the hip of a sow that will create a high pitch frequency that would help prevent a pig from crushing her piglet.
“To see his ability really grow over the past few years is incredible,” Johns said. “This is a young man whose always had a natural talent, but the amount of work he has put in it is really cool to see. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
Johns said he was passionate about public speaking when he was in FFA and when Johns became an AG instructor, he knew he wanted to pass on his passion to his students.
Benn got a taste of public speaking competitively when he delivered the opening and closing ceremonies contest during is freshman year of high school.
“This isn’t the first time he’s been recognized for something he’s done through FFA,” Johns said.