University of Kentucky junior Casey Montgomery, an agricultural education student at the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, was selected to attend the International Leadership Seminar for State Officers (ILSSO) for a 10-day excursion in Australia.
Each year, ILLSSO invites 75 current or past state FFA officers with active memberships to this global agriculture experience. The trips are aimed at developing participants’ global agriculture awareness outside of the U.S. Montgomery, who is from Kentucky, was the only UK student selected.
“I was very grateful to represent UK and Kentucky,” Montgomery said, who served as an FFA state officer from 2022-2023. “To meet all these past and current FFA student officers from different states was inspirational. I made it a mission to be a light for my program, our industry and to present my state in a bright, positive way.”
Montgomery shared that she wanted to absorb all that Australia had to offer and bring back good knowledge and insights.
Australia Trip
Montgomery’s international experience began in Sydney, where the group took a historical tour of the capital city, including the Royal Botanical Gardens, Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. This was followed by a trip to the top of Mount Ainslie in south Canberra.
In the subsequent days, the group took advantage of agriculture learning opportunities in other urban and rural areas. This included visiting the Agricultural Attaché based at the U.S. Embassy, Future Farmers Network Australia, Australian Rural Leadership Program, Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, Marcus Oldham Agricultural College, Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary, Yarra Valley and more.
Along the way, Montgomery’s group encountered a meat sheep enterprise, pasture management consultants, cattle feedlots and other city districts. Additionally, the group visited the Parliament House to further understand Australia’s system of government.
Click here to read more uky.edu
Photo Credit: pexels-fauxels
Categories: Kentucky, Education