Oklahoma FFA state officer Annie Schneider is preparing to represent Oklahoma at the 2026 National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she will serve as a delegate and compete in the national extemporaneous public speaking contest. Schneider, a member of the Seiling FFA chapter, spoke with Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays about her responsibilities as a state officer, her experience in public speaking and the role FFA plays in developing agricultural leaders.
Schneider is serving as the Oklahoma FFA Northwest Area Vice President and will travel to the national convention with other members of the state officer team. “I’m currently serving as Oklahoma FFA Northwest Area Vice President, so I get to go up there with the association, with some of my teammates, be a delegate,” Schneider said. “And when I’m not a delegate, I’m going to be competing in the national extemp contest.”
Understanding the National Extemporaneous Speaking Contest
The national extemporaneous speaking contest challenges FFA members to develop and deliver a speech with limited preparation time. Schneider explained that contestants receive three topics to choose from and have 30 minutes to prepare before delivering their speech. “Essentially, you’re given 30 minutes to prep. You get to pick three topics. You choose your favorite topic. You prep for those 30 minutes, and then you go in and give a four- to six-minute speech, and you’ve got five minutes of questions,” Schneider said.
Schneider said she enjoys the contest because it gives competitors room to develop their own approach to a subject and connect their experiences to the topic. “Extemp can be kind of scary to some people because you can choose from a variety of different topics, but honestly, that’s what I really love about it,” she said. “There’s a lot of room there to kind of take it where you want, to get personal with it, and to make it what you really want it to be.”
When choosing a topic, Schneider looks for something that connects with her interests, knowledge or personal experiences. “Honestly, there’s no perfect formula for it,” she said. “I just kind of go in there and I find one that really touches me, or I can pick out some keywords that I know something about.”
Schneider added that connecting a speech to a personal story can help her find success in the contest. “I love it when I can tie it back to a personal story,” she said. “If it ties back to something I’m passionate about or something that’s personal to me, I find more success in those. And like I mentioned, I just have more fun with it. I have more confidence going in there.”
Building on Previous Public Speaking Experience
Schneider previously represented Oklahoma at the national level after winning the state prepared public speaking contest. While prepared and extemporaneous speaking have different requirements, she said the skills involved are similar. “In prepared, you do already have your speech,” Schneider explained. “It’s a six- to eight-minute speech, so you go in there, you have a speech ready, you give that speech, you still answer the questions, but you’re just worried about one topic.”
Extemporaneous speaking requires competitors to think quickly and organize their ideas within a short period. However, Schneider said the flexibility of the contest is one of the reasons she enjoys it.
Her experience in both contests has given her opportunities to continue developing her communication skills while representing Oklahoma FFA.
Serving Oklahoma FFA Members as a State Officer
Beyond competition, Schneider said serving as a state officer gives her the opportunity to work directly with FFA members and help them grow.
She explained that mentoring students and building relationships are central to her responsibilities, including opportunities at alumni camp, state convention and other FFA activities. “It’s just a really great opportunity to work one-on-one with those members, to kind of serve as a little bit of a role model, but to really just help them and mentor them,” Schneider said. “And it really is about those relationships that you build with the members.”
Schneider said seeing the positive effects of those relationships has been one of the most rewarding parts of her experience. “Honestly, I’ve seen a lot of members who have been impacted by me or my teammates as well, and it just really makes your day a lot better and it makes you feel a lot better,” she said.
At the National FFA Convention, Schneider will also participate in the organization’s business sessions. She said she is scheduled to serve on the Member and Stakeholder Input Committee alongside Oklahoma FFA President Coy Davidson, while other members of the state officer team will serve on different committees. “I’m excited to get up there, have some good conversations with people, and kind of see where Oklahoma takes it,” Schneider said.
Service Remains at the Heart of FFA
When Hays asked what FFA means to her, Schneider emphasized personal growth, leadership and making a difference in the lives of others. “FFA to me is a really great opportunity to grow and to develop yourself, but it’s also just a really great opportunity to, as I kind of mentioned before, create that positive difference in the lives of others,” she said.
Schneider added that service has been a consistent part of her FFA experience, whether participating in public speaking contests, showing livestock or serving in a leadership role. “Even before I was a state FFA officer, going to speech contests or showing pigs or whatever I was doing, it was always about making that positive difference,” Schneider said. “And I think FFA really emphasizes that, and that’s really key in our agriculture education system.”
As Schneider heads to Indianapolis for the 2026 National FFA Convention, she will balance her responsibilities as an Oklahoma FFA state officer with the challenge of competing against other FFA members in extemporaneous speaking. Her experience reflects the emphasis FFA places on communication, leadership, mentorship and service within agricultural education.
Our coverage of the 2026 99th National FFA Convention is powered by Hilliary Communications. Hilliary is a Medicine Park-based company with operations across Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa including telecommunications, the Lawton Constitution, and a portfolio of radio and media holdings. The company has been a long-standing employer in southwest Oklahoma and is committed to investing in the region’s workforce and an equal opportunity employer.
