Allen Miller attended the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) for the Eastside High School Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter. The Mort Ewing WLC scholarship made it possible for the Eastside student to attend the conference.

“It was a big deal to me,” Miller said. “I was the only one in Newton County who got to go. There were about ten people in Newton County who applied and many others in surrounding counties and I was the only one who received it.”

The National FFA brings more than 2,100 students from around the country to its annual Washington Leadership Conference. Participants spend a week in workshops, seminars and small groups under the leadership of professionals, counselors and FFA staff members.

The conference encouraged participants to identify and develop personal strengths and goals. They were given comprehensive leadership training. They also toured landmarks in the nation’s capital, including the Washington Monument, the War Memorial, the National Mall, Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Capital.

Miller, a rising junior at Eastside High School, has been involved in FFA since he was in the ninth grade. During that time he has held many different positions in his chapter.

“My freshman year I entered to be an officer in FFA for my sophomore year,” he said. “During my sophomore year I was the treasurer, and this year I’m the vice president.”

Miller said that every year his amount of responsibility increases but this year he has greater responsibility than he has had with his chapter. “I’m in charge of mostly everything except for the money and the agenda,” he said. “I make sure everything is set up correctly.”

Miller competed in the forestry, lawnmower driving, tractor driving, wildlife and land judging competitions while attending the summit. “Forestry, tractor driving or wildlife is what I would have to say was my favorite competition to compete in,” he said.

Miller said that being recognized and awarded for his chapter not only brought him more publicity and popularity, but also increased the popularity for Eastside as a whole.

“I guess you could say that everyone around the county knew that I won and that I came from Eastside,” he said. Ever since then I would say that Eastside is being recognized for more conferencing for FFA and things of that matter”

Miller said that he believes becoming an entrepreneur and starting his own business, Miller Properties and Landscaping, helped prepare him for the summit. It also helped improve his communication with others as well.

He said he would like to use his experience and knowledge to help others in not only his chapter but all three of the Newton County chapters get to where he has and to help keep them on the straight and narrow.

“If I see somebody going in the wrong direction with their own life or directions I would be able to stop them because of my experience and what I have done,” Miller said.