OSKALOOSA, Iowa – Before the school day even began, a group of Oskaloosa FFA student leaders boarded a school-branded suburban with a mission that stretched far beyond textbooks and chapter meetings. Their destination was the Iowa Capitol, where they would step into the heart of state government to learn firsthand how laws are made, meet with elected officials, and advocate for the future of agricultural education.
Led by FFA adviser Andrew Swope, six Oskaloosa FFA officers traveled to Des Moines to participate in the Iowa Legislative Symposium, an annual event designed to connect students with state leaders and the legislative process. The day began with sessions featuring state agriculture leaders at a downtown hotel, then moved to the Capitol, where students met with several representatives and senators.
Among those they spoke with were Sen. Adrian Dickey and Sen. Ken Rozenboom. The students also received a behind-the-scenes experience, including a guided tour to the top of the Capitol dome and a historical tour of the building.
“They discussed the problem or crisis of the lack of ag educators in the state,” Swope said. “That was the topic they chose to bring to their legislators. They talked about the barriers to entry and, in their words, the pay.”
Swope said the trip served several purposes, including team building for the officer group and providing real-world leadership experience.
“My big takeaway was that I wanted them to learn how they could speak with their legislators and learn how the legislative process works in the state,” he said. “They learned how to have those discussions, and then they were able to see the House of Representatives in session and voting on a bill.”
Students were able to sit in the House chambers as lawmakers debated and voted on legislation related to carbon pipelines and eminent domain, offering a rare, up-close look at government in action.
For Audrey Kauzlarich, Oskaloosa FFA chapter president, the visit was about timing and amplifying agriculture’s voice.
“We went this year to talk about the need for more ag teachers with our senators,” Kauzlarich said. “Going to the Capitol during this session is an important time to talk about agriculture and why it’s important to fight for it, and just showing that FFA is still a huge part of our state.”
Dominick Carman, the chapter treasurer, said the issue hit close to home.
“It was a struggle just to get Mr. Swope,” Carman said. “We just wanted to go up to the Capitol and show them how difficult it is to find an FFA adviser.”
The conversations with legislators proved meaningful, with students sharing data and real examples from across the state. Kauzlarich said Sen. Rozenboom was unaware of the depth of the issue.
“Bringing that to his attention, he was grateful for it. We even had a whole paper to give him about wages and about another chapter in Des Moines where their ag program had been shut down”, she said.
Sen. Dickey, who has a background in agriculture, acknowledged the workforce challenges facing both education and industry.
“He does understand the struggles of trying to get people involved in agriculture and how hard it is to find people to go into teaching,” Kauzlarich said.
Swope said all three legislators recognized the shortage of agricultural educators as a serious issue, though none had immediate solutions.
“They all agreed it’s a problem and they’re working to find solutions,” Swope said. “But nobody has quick answers.”
Beyond advocacy, students were struck by the pace and professionalism inside the Capitol.
“When you walk into the House room, there were a lot of people there doing their own jobs,” said Tyler Whitlatch, the chapter sentinel. “Even though there were a lot of distractions, everyone was still focused on their work.”
Carman noted that the structure of legislative sessions felt familiar.
“It kind of ran like how most of our meetings go,” he said. “The speaker stands up and announces business, but their topics were a lot more serious than ours.”
The experience also opened students’ eyes to potential career opportunities connected to government and agriculture.
“The senators had clerks with them who were around our age or a little older,” Kauzlarich said. “They get to do this as jobs or as part of college work experience. That was really cool to see.”
She added that Sen. Dickey even spoke with students and offered the boys welding opportunities at his business.
“That was very considerate and interesting,” she said.
For Swope, the trip aligned directly with FFA’s mission of leadership and career readiness.
“We took the leaders of our chapter to go see how the leaders of our state operate,” he said. “They were able to see a much larger step beyond FFA and examples of what leadership can look like.”
He also praised the students’ engagement throughout the day.
“They were all very excited to learn about our Capitol’s history, our state’s history, and how the future is shaped with the passing of laws,” Swope said.
The visit also shifted how some students viewed government.
“Being able to go see how it’s running right now was nice,” Kauzlarich said. “It gave me perspective on how they see agriculture and how we can make a stronger connection with them.”
Carman said the group hoped their conversations would leave a lasting impression.
“I think we put a thought in the back of their minds about agriculture and FFA and trying to help the community,” he said.
