FFA: Following the Future of Agriculture: A Lil' Bit of Everything

I couldn’t decide (shocker right) what I wanted my final blog to Indiana FFA to be. So, I combined my two ideas into one. If you’re at all interested in a few stories during my officer term that I think we all can benefit from, awesome read the first half of this blog! If you’re interested in learning more about state convention - you’re in luck, head to the second part of the blog. If neither one of those interest you, I’m very sorry. Feel free to call me and we can chat about whatever is on your mind! With that said, let’s get to it.

Stories we all can benefit from:

Take the trip

During my officer year, I traveled to Kansas with my teammate and friend Derick Williams. The purpose of the trip was to meet a Kansas FFA member who made an impact on us. Little did we know how life changing the trip would be. Not only did we meet Cali Newdigger and see the beautiful Kansas scenery, but we also met the outstanding 2020-21 Kansas FFA State Officer Team. Let me tell you, those gals have the BIGGEST hearts and embody what it means to be a K-State Wildcat! In fact, I think we might have actually convinced Derick to say “Go Cats” instead of “Go Irish”! Once we parted our ways, Derick and I spontaneously went three hours out of our way to visit the “middle of the United States” in Lebanon, Kansas. Did Derick and I both have other items to work on, yes. Were we exhausted, yes. But, at the end of the day our hearts and minds were full. In the end, we won’t remember the work, but we will remember the memories. So, take the trip. Be spontaneous. Have fun.

Start the Conversation

During State Officer Summit, I saw a really cool gal by the name of Lori. I was super intrigued by her when I heard her mention she loved writing to pen pals. On July 22, 2020 I received an Instagram DM from a Nevada FFA State Officer asking for my address. Shortly after that I received a handwritten letter from Lori Ramm. I was fangirling. In my eyes Lori was a rockstar. Of course I wrote back to her! For a solid 5 months Lori and I wrote letters to each other. In fact, we didn’t even have each other on social media. I used to catch myself at events or surfing through social media thinking how cool other individuals are. I would tell myself I wanted to be friends with someone, but was normally too intimidated to start the conversation. Lori taught me to initiate, or start, the conversation. This small piece of advice gained me so many new friendships this year and I encourage you all to do the same. There’s value in handwritten letters, but this can also look like a letter, Instagram DM, or phone call!

Serve YOU

The last line in the FFA Motto is “Living to Serve''. I admire the servant leadership that our members carry and their dedication to living out the last line of our motto. With that said, we are so dedicated to serving others, that we often forget to serve ourselves. This past year has challenged me to serve myself more. This looked like going to the gym, journaling, and scheduling time to de-stress. All of this helped ensure I was mentally and physically able to serve others. If we don’t serve ourselves, we can’t effectively serve others. How can you serve yourself today, so that you can better serve others tomorrow?