Officers Go South, to South Africa

Recently Iowa had a 4 officers attend the International Leadership Seminar for State Officers or ILSSO in South Africa. The four officers that went on this trip all took some time to write about their favorite part and this is what they had to say.

Lexi- Attending ILSSO in South Africa was an eye-opening experience for me. I enjoyed every aspect of it, from learning about the types of agriculture to the immense amount of history. Some of my favorite parts of attending ILSSO were visiting the Roos Farm, the Cape of Good Hope, and connecting with state officers from across the United States. On the Roos Farm, we learned about sheep, cattle, and crop production. I thought it was very interesting to learn how similar the practices used are to agriculture in the United States. At the Cape of Good Hope, the views were amazing. I couldn’t believe I was standing in a place full of so much beauty and history. Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a more educational and amazing experience.

Gwen- My favorite part of IlSSO was the true beauty of the country. Around every turn, we saw the most amazing sights. The nature, the people, the culture, the food, all were so beautiful. Looking over the mountains and smelling the ocean over the Cape of Good Hope was of the most surreal moments I have ever experienced. The amazing sights and sounds here were breathtaking. Truly the most beautiful part of the trip was the new friends I made. The experience of this trip was made even better by the friendships I made. Getting to see all these beautiful sights with friends from around the country made it even better.

Jake- ILSSO 2019. 11 days spent in the beautiful country of South Africa studying agriculture and culture. This experience is something that I will not soon forget! My favorite part of this trip happened on the last day of our journey. We went to a place called Table Mountain that overlooks the city of Cape Town. This nearly 4000 feet tall mountain is known around the world as one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. The sights were breathtaking and symbolic of the trip as we could see not only the rest of the African Continent where we had been but also the ocean, in which we would fly over on our way home the next day. Though this part was my favorite, I am beyond blessed for all of the sights we saw and most importantly, the people met!

Laken- My favorite part of South Africa was the Hoërslool Erasmus High School. We had the opportunity to tour the school's agriculture department which included their own farm complete with goats, chickens, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and peppers. It was so neat to see a school that had its own farm, as many schools near me have similar operations. We were also able to interact with the students there. I love this opportunity because we were able to talk to people our age and see what they liked to do for fun, and how teenage culture was in South Africa. It was an amazing experience with amazing people, and I am so fortunate to have been able to participate!

In Blue and Gold, 

Lexi Berte, NC State Vice-President,

Gwen Black, SW State Vice-President,

Jake Hlas, NE State Vice-President,

Laken Mullinix, State Secretary