By Sydney Bartels
Leadership Development Events are designed to teach students interested in agriculture important leadership skills. The Silver Lake FFA chapter attended their district LDE competition on January 26 at the Leadership Center in Aurora. Silver Lake had eight students competing, earning the chapter a bundle of blue and purple ribbons. Freshmen McKenna Pankoke and Katy Soucek competed in Creed Speaking, both receiving a blue ribbon. Sophomores Sydney Bartels, Madison Karr, and Savanna Junek presented an Agricultural Demonstration or Ag Demo. The team demonstrated how to make a wreath using the chapter’s Craftmaster Wreath Machine. They placed 5th out of 23 teams, earning them a blue ribbon. Sophomore Ashley Bonifas competed in Environmental and Natural Resource Speaking, giving a speech about cover crops and how they benefit our environment. She placed 2nd with a purple ribbon. Junior Samantha Bonifas competed in Senior Public Speaking and Job Interviews. She placed 4th in Public Speaking and 1st in Job Interviews. Junior Kassi Jones also competed in Senior Public Speaking, bringing home a blue ribbon. Ashley and Samantha will be competing at the State FFA Convention at the beginning of March. Congratulations to everyone that competed and good luck to Ashley and Samantha at state!