INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – For the first in recent memory, the three Oklahoma FFA members representing the state in the national speech competitions all made the final four in their respective categories.
During the 97th annual National Future Farmers of America Convention & Expo, held Oct. 23-26, in Indianapolis, three delegates from Oklahoma — Cierra Collins, Cooper Kline and Coy Davidson — each placed in at least the top four of their respective speech categories: Creed, Extemporaneous, and Prepared Public Speaking. Each contest is designed to develop students’ leadership skills.
Cierra Collins, secretary of the Frederick FFA, earned fourth place in the National Creed Speaking Competition. Collins’ family owns Collins Cattle Inc. in Chattanooga.
“The FFA Creed serves as a guide to members and highlights morals and beliefs of the organization,” the high school sophomore told Southwest Ledger. “It was written by E.M. Tiffany (a professor of agriculture at the University of Wisconsin) in 1928 and was adopted in 1930.”
“Most FFA affiliations, Oklahoma being one of them, allow only freshmen in high school to compete in the FFA Creed Speaking Competition,” she said. “I was a freshman when I competed at the state level in the spring; however, I am now a sophomore and competed as one in the national competition.
After giving her speech in Indianapolis, Collins was asked a series of related questions and was judged on her delivery and ability to demonstrate her agricultural knowledge.
“Competing at nationals was a very humbling experience and I am incredibly honored to have gotten that opportunity!,” she exclaimed.
Cooper Kline, a swine producer who is currently a freshman studying agriculture education at Oklahoma State University, placed third nationally in the Extemporaneous Public Speaking Contest.
According to the FFA, from a list of 18 topics, “a student selects the topic of their speech and has 30 minutes to prepare using five resources. Participants then present a 4- to 6-minute speech on their topic to a panel of judges. After their speech, students answer five minutes’ worth of questions on the topic they just presented.”
Kline told Oklahoma Farm Report in April of his show pig operation called Kline Swine, as well as “a boar stud (operation) called Kline Swine Sires, as well as maintaining a show pig enterprise.”
“I run about 17 sows and a handful of boars from which I sell show pig prospects and semen across the country,” he told reporters then.
During a Friday interview with Southwest Ledger, Kline said he spoke on the positive effects of the implementation of broadband in rural communities and why communities should invest in them.
“Some of the more interesting things I found through my research was how deeply broadband affects the actual community itself, ranging from better healthcare to even more educational opportunities for school systems,” he said. “And on the production in agriculture side, there’s so much opportunity to use new emerging technologies such as AI and precision agriculture technology that require internet connectivity.”
Competing against speakers from Minnesota and Texas, Elgin High School senior Coy Davidson was the last of the three to speak in their respective finals. His speech on agricultural espionage and cybercrime in the world of agriculture made Davidson the 11th Oklahoma FFA member to have won the National Prepared Speech Contest.
Davidson told Oklahoma Farm Report he has been working on this speech for about a year. His research and practice paid off with this national title.
After being named national champion last week, Davidson said, “It’s so intriguing to me, just how in-depth this topic was, and how, not necessarily new this was, but how there were not very many people who knew about it. Once I started digging, I realized this is something that’s affecting U.S. agriculture today, and it’s something that needs to be talked about.”
Davidson, who makes and distributes handmade duck and goose calls and paracord lanyards nationwide, said he had his Cash App transactions hacked a year and a half ago, he said.The $250 loss prompted the Elgin student to research cybersecurity. “It (cybersecurity) is affecting everyone,” he said.
Established in 1928, the FFA advertises itself as a “dynamic youth organization that changes lives and prepares members for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.” More than 1,027,000 student members aged 12-21 in more than 9,235 chapters nationwide are engaged in a wide range of agricultural education activities, the national organization states. Records show that Oklahoma has more than 29,000 FFA members.
Indianapolis will host the National FFA Convention & Expo through at least 2033. The next convention is scheduled for Oct. 29-Nov. 1, 2025.