DeShawn Blanding
Biological Engineering major DeShawn Blanding concluded his yearlong term as Southern region vice president of the National FFA with an electrifying speech.
The South Carolina native delivered his retiring address at the 90th annual National FFA Convention and Expo, an event held Oct. 25-28 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Among the messages he shared with the audience was the importance of hope
“Hope is believing that there is a plan and a future for our lives,” Blanding said. “There is another lesson that will be better. There is another chapter that will be better.”
For the past year, Blanding has traveled the country, visiting FFA chapters, hosting state and local conventions, and meeting FFA members. He led personal growth and leadership training conferences for FFA members and met business, government and education leaders. His election as a national officer of FFA made him one of only six African Americans to achieve that distinction and the first from a HBCU.
