Reporting From the Field
For the third year in a row I received the opportunity to go to the Fuel Up To Play 60 National Summit. The first time was in Chicago, second in Indiana and last year it was Minnesota. During this amazing four day trip I created unforgettable memories, meeting and working with some incredible people.
Unfortunately I missed the first day of the summit when everyone went to the new Vikings football stadium, met football players and participated in various games. But the second day I was up bright and early to visit the Winfield United Answer Plot where we learned about tractors used to harvest corn and soybeans plants. That night my team and I performed a skit on the cycle of cow care, from birth to trading.
Day three was crazy and busy! We started off by playing flag football with NFL Alumni, then met with dairy farmers to discuss how we could involve local farmers in our school activities. Next we got to meet U.S. Olympic gold medalis Maddie Bowman who talked about motivation and her path to success. At lunch we rotated through four different stations, each demonstrating a different way of staying active, followed by conference sessions where we learned what we can do to make a difference at our schools and communities. That evening, we participated in a pizza cook off where we had to develop a recipe and create a marketing poster and pitch. My team and I received second place which was not too bad for a pesto, chicken, bacon and cheese pizza. Our final activity for the night was team talent. My team and I had a dance off: Girls vs. Boys… of course the girls won!
On our final day we had more guest speakers who talked to us about some of their life experiences and how their choices led them to becoming who they are. We also got to create an obstacle course which teams were able to compete against each other on. To help us unwind a little we had a “lockdown” which is where youth council and ambassadors come together just to talk with each other. Last but not least, was the goodbye ceremony where awards were given out as we ate our last meal together.
Overall the four days flew by. Honestly it was an unforgettable experience in which I learned a lot. With everything you learn at the summit, you get to come back to your community and school and make a difference.
Atziry P.
