Southwestern ag students excel at National PAS Conference

Two students elected to national office

CRESTON, Iowa - Students in agricultural programs at Southwestern Community College (SWCC) recently represented the college at the 2026 National Professional Agricultural Student Organization (PAS) Conference in Branson, Missouri, where they competed in national contests, participated in professional development workshops, and earned major leadership honors.

Southwestern students earned national recognition through the organization's officer selection process. Out of more than 2,000 PAS members from across the country, nearly 600 students attended the conference, with only 13 students selected as national officer candidates-two of them being SWCC students.

After four days of interviews, presentations, and evaluation by the nominating committee, SWCC students elected to national offices included:

• Dalanie Auffert of Parnell, Missouri, elected as 2026-27 national PAS president
• Erin Kinney of Winterset, elected as 2026-27 national PAS vice president

According to Matt Deppe, SWCC ag instructor and PAS advisor, this election reflects the strength of Southwestern's agriculture program and the leadership development opportunities students gained through participation in PAS.

Other competition and conference highlights included:

• Agricultural Administration Interview - Auffert placed fourth in the nation.
• SWCC College Bowl Team - Out of 31 teams competing in a double-elimination tournament, SWCC advanced through four of five rounds of competition.
• SWCC Beef Specialist Team - Placed 11th.
• Career Progress - Power, Structural and Technical Systems - Mia Kloewer of Atlantic, placed fifth.

Deppe said SWCC continues to emphasize experiences that move students beyond the classroom and prepare them for success in agriculture and related industries through communication, leadership, problem-solving, and career-focused training.

PAS is a student-led organization that allows students to build and sharpen workplace-ready skills through competitive events, leadership development, and real-life application. The organization is recognized as an integral part of career and technical education by the National Coordinating Council for Career and Technical Student Organizations.

National PAS serves approximately 2,000 members nationwide. Southwestern Community College was represented by five students-Auffert; Kinney; Kloewer, Natalie Short of Winterset; and Jacob Wegner of Norwalk.

Deppe said career and job readiness are priorities in SWCC's ag programs. While classroom instruction remains a central part of the college's agriculture experience and curriculum, students are also prepared to lead and advance within their future careers because of the highly sought-after problem-solving, critical-thinking, and communication skills developed through pre-professional experiences like PAS.

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