Published 8:00 am Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Bend’s Jael Cruikshank, Western Region vice president for National FFA, will finish her year-long tenure during the National FFA Convention Oct. 21-24 in Indianapolis, Ind.

“Very, very thankful for this year,” Cruikshank said Oct. 5. “It’s going to be a bittersweet ending, but also I’m excited to get back to routines and normal.”

What was her favorite part?

“This is a hard question for me — I have a hard time picking my favorite food,” she said.

Different moments and experiences stand out, including attending Ohio’s FFA camp over the summer, which reminded her of Oregon FFA’s leadership camps.

“It was just the sweetest time, it was so cool to go into the middle of the woods with little to no cell phone service and just connect with these members who want to be there and want to create relationships with other people,” she said.…