By JAMIE SEARS RAWLINGS

Kentucky Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Thanks to a $200,000 endowment, called “unique and first of its kind” by FFA officials, several students will get the chance to attend the 2018 FFA National Convention – an opportunity that they may not have had otherwise.

In memory of their father, Arthur Daniel “Dan,” the Nafziger family recently donated funds and specified they be used to assist FFA members in attending the organization’s national convention.

For Ryan Nafziger, the choice to establish the endowment for FFA was an easy one to make. “Our father was a teacher,” he said. “He taught us to read, he taught us to listen and he taught us to pay attention to the world around us.

“‘Smart people notice things’ was one of his favorite sayings. He especially loved to teach us about his world – the world of agriculture. That love of teaching and that love of farming was something he enjoyed sharing with FFA members as well.”

Dan Nafziger, who passed away in 2016, became associated with FFA as a volunteer, judging Career and Leadership Development Events (CDEs and LDEs) at past national conventions, an experience that Ryan believes enriched his father’s life tremendously.

“He would come home beaming after judging presentations during the National FFA Convention,” he explained. “It was palpable how excited he was to share whatever new ideas he had learned that day.”

For the family, according to Ryan, it was important that their father’s legacy go to assist students who participated in his favorite events – but also to those who may have otherwise not had the opportunity to participate at all.

“He would always talk about how you could really tell the differences in the kids and where the came from,” Ryan said. “You’d have the kids who maybe came from California who had the PowerPoint and were real slick; and then you’d have the kids who came from their family farms and were every bit as impressive, but maybe had a harder time getting there.”

The Nafziger family’s endowment is the first of its kind within the National FFA Foundation, the arm charged with securing the organization’s future through charitable donations.

“We have a variety of endowments at the National FFA that benefit FFA members, but this one is unique,” said Kristen Self, major gift officer with the Foundation. “This is the first such endowment that will sponsor students to attend national convention. We hear so many times that attending national convention changes the life of an FFA member.”

Self knows that donations such as the Nafziger Endowment are critical in securing the future of the organization. “Donations like this are so important to the future of FFA. First, this is important to us because it directly supports students and their ability to broaden their experience with FFA.

“This was also special and important to us because it was a gift made because Dan was a volunteer for the National FFA at convention, and he and his family recognized the value FFA has in the development of young people. We are grateful when individuals come forward to support FFA,” she added.

Developing the future of the agriculture industry that Dan held so dear, as well as continuing his passion for education, is exactly what Ryan hopes his father’s endowment will achieve.

“As his children, we are grateful for what he taught us and want the learning opportunities he shared with us to continue,” he said. “We know the FFA does a great job at providing students the opportunity to learn about agriculture and to develop new ideas.

“We hope our father’s gift will assist that mission for years to come.”