FFA Journeys Part 1

Photo credit: Kristin Vinduska

What do the movies "Napoleon Dynamite," "Paris, Texas," and "Charlotte's Web" have in common? Well you could watch all three movies back to back, or you could just let me save you some time and tell you about my story in the blue jacket that appears in all three movies.

I originally had no idea what FFA was other than it being called the "Future Farmers of America" (a common misconception I will address later). I thought that it was just for farmers and kids that raised animals. Little did I know that it was open to those who wanted to do a variety of different things. Sure the organization was about agriculture, but also about so much more.

One of the first things that I learned in FFA was the FFA Creed. As a freshman (a.k.a. Greenhand) you learn and memorize a five paragraph passage that defines the very foundations of what we as members believe. In fact each of the five paragraphs begins with the line, "I believe." After the Greenhands memorize the creed, they have the opportunity to use their speaking abilities to bring their passion and beliefs to life. I was able to bring my passion for agriculture to life. I made it to the State FFA Creed Career Development Event (CDE) and because of the hard work and time that I put into developing my speaking skills I was able to make an impression on those who listened. I ended up winning and advanced to the National Creed Speaking CDE and was placed in the bronze division. Even though I didn't make it as far as I would have liked this experience has had an impact on me that is hard to describe in the words contained in this blog. The best I can do is say that it changed my life and how I looked at challenges that were set before me.

Moving from my freshman year to my senior year, I had a lot of positive experiences for growth within FFA. These experiences ranged from winning FFA speaking CDEs to losing judging contests and spending more time at the drawing board. I feel as if all of these experiences gave me the drive to run for a State FFA Officer position. For those of you who may not be familiar with FFA, there are different levels of officers that are responsible for different things. The most important level of officers is the chapter officers. They are the ones who direct the work of the organization on the local level. They essentially run the local chapters on a day to day basis. The next level of officers are the district officers. These officers direct the work of the district as well as the development of each of the chapters within their district. The state officers are the ones who direct the work of the state association and are in charge of the development of each district. These are the hard workers that go out into the industry throughout the state and help promote the industry in a positive way. The highest level of officers are the national officers. These are the face of the FFA who constantly stay up to date with the latest issues facing the industry. They also focus on the development of the organization as a whole.

In February of last year I set out on a journey of personal growth to become a State FFA Officer. I remember meeting a state officer my freshman year and I knew that I wanted to have the same impression on members that he had on me. I used all the experiences I had during my time in FFA to figure out why I wanted to be an officer. Many came from my unique experiences throughout my time in FFA and some came from some of the circumstances that I had outside of FFA. Overall I decided that I would run for a state office and do my best to make a difference in the lives of some members.

Not every FFA member has a crucible moment in FFA like I did but I can almost guarantee that the organization has changed every member in some form. It pushes members to become better leaders, better agriculturists, and overall better people. I have had experiences in FFA that have made me a leader in some organizations that I am involved in. I have come from being a shy high school freshman to an outgoing college student who loves public speaking and interacting with others.

FFA is hard to describe without the experiencing it for yourself. I can tell you about my experiences but that would not do the organization justice. It is an experience that shaped my foundations and you would be hard pressed to find the words to describe the entirety of the effect of FFA.