Wednesday, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows hosted two leading members of the Consulate of the Republic of Kosovo in Des Moines.
Clarion entered into a sister-city agreement with Junik, Kosovo in 2022. The agreement aims to foster regular exchanges of students and citizens with a focus of providing opportunities for students and businesses in both Clarion and Junik.
Members of the C-G-D FFA chapter gave a presentation on their program and the importance of agricultural education. Drilon Zogaj and Fatmir Rrahmanaj, members of the Consulate, gave presentations on the history of Kosovo and the partnerships with Iowa.
Wednesday’s event comes as FFA students, along with advisor Angie Charlson and Superintendent Joe Nelson, gear up for an educational trip to Kosovo in March.
Logan Legleiter, a junior at Clarion-Goldfield-Dows and member of the school’s FFA chapter, tells RadioOnTheGo News the upcoming trip is something he’s really looking forward to as a chance to experience a new country.
“I’m really excited to go over there and meet new people, meet new friends that I hope I’ll be able to make a lasting connection with. I’m also very interested in agriculture, so I am looking forward to checking out their agriculture and seeing the similarities and differences to what we have here. Although it’ll be very different, there will be quite a few similarities, which I’m looking forward to. I also think the very diverse culture will be just an amazing thing to experience. The food looks amazing, the region, the mountains look breathtaking, and I really am just excited to explore as much as we can, make some amazing memories both with my friends that are going here and with people that I meet over there.”
High School Principal Adam Vorrie says the trip offers students a chance to gain new perspectives through international travel.
“Any opportunity for our students to broaden their perspectives I think is a very positive thing. We, in some ways, in Iowa, I think are a little bit insulated, especially in a small town, things happening outside of our immediate area. So anytime that we can find opportunities and pursue opportunities where we are having cultural exchanges and learning more about other people, especially even outside of our country, I think is a very positive thing.”
The trip to Kosovo is March 11th-18th.
Pictured are C-G-D FFA students with members of the Consulate of the Republic of Kosovo in Des Moines Wednesday. (left to right: FFA students Damon Fouts, Samantha Seaba, Logan Legleiter, Armando Melendez; Members of the Consulate Fatmir Rrahmanaj and Drilon Zogaj; Lea Charlson, Audrey Egland, Lydia Langfitt and Adelynn Howell)
