Recap of the 2016 Student Ambassador Summit

This year I attended the 2016 FUTP 60 National Student Ambassador Summit, hosted at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. This is my second time attending a national Summit, as I was lucky enough to experience last year’s in Chicago, IL as a Student Ambassador on a scholarship. This year I was invited as the Vermont State Ambassador. Although last year’s Summit was packed with amazing opportunities, I would say that this Summit was even more eventful! There were many great times, but there was also a sad twist to this year’s Summit…three of our beloved Youth Council members, this was their last Summit. Kaylene, Tiger, and Hunter have graduated this year. We will miss them, but we wish them luck. The four days Ambassadors spend at the Summit are jam packed with amazingly fun activities and informative sessions, but we are always left wanting more as we prepare to leave on our last day. Though we are sad, all good things come to an end. For those who weren’t able to attend, here is a Huddle post on my activities and thoughts while at the Summit…. although this is just a very small sampling of the many amazing things that happen over these four days!

Day One:
The first day is always hectic as all get-out. There are people flying in from different time-zones and states, and everyone is tired after their flights, and yet you should still be prepared to hit the ground running, and begin your Summit as the days go from 6:30 am to 11:00 pm…. including arrival day. After you arrive on campus, you will see a red carpet, rolled out for the arrival of the Ambassadors. There you will step into the line to get your headshot snapped by one of the experienced camera crew members. Once done, you step in and go through the check-in process. Now checked in, most will go up to explore their rooms, and perhaps meet their roommate. I, however, was introduced to Skyler, and was debriefed, as I would be interviewing Lt. General Mark Hertling and Pittsburgh Steelers NFL player Alejandro Villanueva. I was very honored to be presented with this opportunity because both men have served our country, and were very interesting to talk to. It was even cooler when the Lt. General then mentioned me in his speech later that evening saying that after our interview I was now one of his new role models! After the interview I unpacked in my room, and went to meet my team, led by Youth Council member Lauryn, and things really kicked in. The rest of the night involved a wonderful dinner, accompanied by several speakers, including Lt. General Hertling.

Day Two:
For day two, Ambassadors were split into two groups: green and blue. My team was the green team that day. After wakeups and a physical activity rotation, we went to breakfast and then out onto a bus that took us to Fair Oaks Farms (a working dairy farm). There we were shown countless exhibits that really changed my perspective on how the dairy products I eat appear in my local stores and, eventually, my home. There we were also taken on another bus that drove us around to see the different cattle housing situations, and to see the “Dairy-Go-Round”, where the cows are milked several times a day. We even got to see a cow give birth! All in all, it was an amazing experience I’m not soon to forget. We ended our experience with an inspiring keynote session and then returned to campus for both teams to come together to take part in a mass Physical Activity Break planned by some of the Program Advisors. Upon returning to campus there was also a smoothie break, conference sessions, and dinner with NFL Alumni Player Daryl Johnston. This was followed by team time activities and the first ever Team Talent Show!

Day Three:
Day three’s morning consisted of a flip flop. I was now on the blue team. We were presented with the challenge of a Smoothie Blend-Off. We got with our teams and decided on our recipe and ingredients, then got them approved. Next we had several training sessions, followed by the Smoothie Blend-Off tasting. For dinner there was a Burger Bash! Following that was the YOUth Talks, Power of Persuasion and the Farm to School Competitions. We ended the night with a ceremony and some awards to say goodbye (officially at least).

Day Four:
This day is reserved for packing up and leaving…for the Colt’s training facility, Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center! There we got to play FLAG Football with our team and more NFL Alumni players! Not only that but the mysterious Youth Council Lock Down occurs…nobody except the Ambassadors and Youth Council are allowed in there… no adults shall ever know what occurs in that room. Ever.

Throughout the Summit we are supposed to “network”, which is making contacts and connections. But really, we leave with friends. Sure they may live in different states, but if some people can make long-distance relationships work, why can’t you make a long-distance friendship work? At this Summit I met Bobby (NH), a great friend who always knows how to make me laugh, even if he IS upside-down (inside joke). I met Wisdom (MD) in Chicago and saw him again this year, and if you look up the word “caring” in the dictionary, you’ll see a picture of Wisdom. One of the days I really wasn’t feeling well and Wisdom immediately noticed and took me aside to ask if I was ok. To me, that shows how great of a person he is. I also have the pleasure of knowing Abby (NH). She is like me in many ways, confident, a public speaker, and determined to make a difference. Sydney (another NH ambassador) is a leader, and a great and confident one at that. There are so many more I could list, but if I listed every great person I have met through FUTP 60, I would bore you all to death, because my list could go on forever. For that reason, I would like to personally thank Fuel Up to Play 60. Thank you for these Summits, all the experiences, and for the friends you have allowed me to leave with. I plan to stay on for as long as I can and do as much as I can with this amazing program.

Cat
Vermont State Ambassador
8th Grade