Convention Attendees Explore the Wild Side of Agriculture

Career exploration at the 99th National FFA Convention & Expo extends well beyond downtown Indianapolis. Through Career Success Tours, FFA members are getting a firsthand look at opportunities across industries — including those found inside the enclosures of the Exotic Feline Rescue Center.

Caring for more than 200 animals, including cats, foxes, wolves and even a black bear, the center spans 328 acres dedicated to exotic animal care and serves as one of the many stops on the 2026 FFA Career Success Tours.

“All of our keepers do have a degree in some kind of related field, animal science, zoology, biology, something of the sort,” says Rebecca Stevenson, the center’s head keeper.

While FFA is more commonly associated with “moos” than “meows,” the tour introduces members to careers in exotic animal care, from managing animal habitats and nutrition to studying behavior and providing veterinary care.

“I would have never imagined wildlife rescue being an agricultural career, but today I learned there are a lot of opportunities to work in a facility like this and make an impact on how agriculture and animal rescue can interact,” says Carter Ketterling, a member of the Wishek FFA Chapter in North Dakota.

Tours like this allow members to capitalize on the career advancement opportunities provided by the National FFA Organization. For agricultural educators, these firsthand experiences reinforce the value of learning beyond the classroom.

“Actually seeing the impact that it makes in person makes a huge difference,” says Victoria Mareno, the Wishek FFA advisor. “With my job as an ag teacher, it’s my job to expose these kids to every possible avenue in agriculture and jobs in agriculture that they might not have ever thought of.”