Showing Up, Looking Up, and Remembering Why

It was my tenth year at my county fair. I was spending my last nights in the barn, attending club meetings, and staying up late finishing that extra project I had never tried before. I remember receiving the tenure award banner and my ten-year plaque in the arena, in front of a full audience. I stopped and thought about the long days, the hard work, and all of the times I wanted to give up and throw in the towel. 

In this moment, a couple of images popped into my head. I saw myself putting on my official dress for the first time, saw my eyes light up when I first stepped into the show ring, and remembered the excitement I felt when I turned in my very first project. It has never been, and never will be, about the ribbons, plaques, or titles. It's about those people just like us that we get the opportunity to serve, the lessons we learn, and the chance to be a part of something greater than ourselves.

Just like Lauren reminded us, we all have a “village” of people who pour into us. Just like Kaitlyn said, keeping a positive mindset makes the hard days brighter. And just like Erianna shared, even the moments of exhaustion are worth it when we remember the dream that first brought us here.

For me, FFA has been all of that and more. It has been family, faith, and friendships. It has been late nights, early mornings, and the satisfaction of knowing the work means something.

So as we step into another busy season of service and opportunity, I hope you can remember this: the effort is worth it, the people are worth it, and the journey to where you want to be is worth it. Keep showing up. Keep believing in the impact you can make. And never forget that someone, somewhere, might be looking at you the way you once looked at others – as a reminder of what is possible.

Always striving,

Calvin Myers

2025-2026 Indiana FFA State Southern Region Vice President

From Dream to Wall: A Fair Reminder

It was a hot August afternoon at the Indiana State Fair, and somewhere between handing out putters at the Caddy Shack, answering seemingly obvious questions at the animal wing, and making sure the Farm-to- Fork station was tidy, I was feeling the weight of it all. 

The long days, the nonstop responsibilities, the smiles that sometimes feel forced after hours of meeting new people, and two weeks of a sickness that wouldn’t seem to leave. I was exhausted and starting to wonder if I was really cut out for this. 

Then, in a brief but quiet moment sitting at the Caddy Shack, I gazed up to a familiar spot. There, straight ahead, was a wall that I spent time looking at each summer I worked in the FFA Pavilion: the wall of state officer headshots. I would walk through as a younger member, look up at the smiling faces in jackets just like mine, and think “That’s where I want to be one day.” 

And now I am. 

There was my picture, right next to my newly-found family, and under the word “Leadership” was our team photo; all of us still buzzing with excitement just minutes after we got elected to serve Indiana FFA together. I took a moment to stare in awe. My younger self would lose her mind. I was now standing in the very shoes I once admired from afar. 

How cool is that? 

In that moment, everything clicked. The long days, the hard work—it was all worth it. Not just because my face is on the wall, but because of what that wall represents: leadership, service, and a love for FFA that’s bigger than any one moment of exhaustion. So I took a deep breath, smiled to myself, and sat up straight, ready to keep showing up—for myself, my team, and every young member who might walk by that wall and think, “Someday, I want to be up there too.” 

With gratitude, 

Erianna Vela 

2025-2026 Indiana FFA State Northern Region Vice President 

Building Your Village

“What’s your school schedule?!”

That was the exact message I sent to my younger brothers, Lucas and Blake, as they prepared for their sophomore year of high school.

Shortly after, I received a photo of their schedules. As I scanned the list, I couldn’t help but think about all the teachers I’ve had throughout my life- the individuals who poured love, time, and energy into every student, not just those in their classrooms, but the entire school community.

From my earliest days in elementary school to my time at Lebanon High School, every teacher who guided me left a lasting impression. My first agricultural teacher, Mrs. Lindsey Bradway, helped me discover my passion for FFA, a love that every advisor I had in high school nurtured and encouraged. Teachers like Mr. Jason Joris continued to fill my overflowing cup with constant enthusiasm and joy inside and out of the classroom.

All of these teachers were part of my village. They answered my questions, challenged me to grow, and taught me lessons that went beyond the classroom. 

Teachers build villages every single day, and they deserve to know they are an important part of ours. 

Just as I checked my brothers’ schedules and thought about the teachers who shaped me, I hope you take a moment to notice the people who are part of your village, and consider how you might be part of someone else’s.

Always in your corner, 

Lauren Argotte

2025-2026 Indiana FFA State Secretary

The Key to the Indiana State Fair

I have spent the last seven days working at the Corteva Agriscience FFA Pavilion at the Great Indiana State Fair. That means late nights, early mornings, (what feels like) a million plants to water, never-ending sweeping by the sandboxes, numerous cups of carrots and pellets in the animal wing, and handing out a lot of putters for fair-goers to play a round of free FFA putt putt. While this all sounds like non-stop work, it is actually quite fun.

These past seven days have challenged my ability to keep a positive mindset. When just looking at all the work I have to do each day, it does not sound very fun. However, when you forget the work and think about the kids smiling when you give them their putter, someone having their first experience feeding a farm animal, a person learning what FFA is by coming into the pavilion, or a visitor understanding how their food gets from the field to their fork by going through the Farm to Fork Corner, it becomes a much more fun place to be. Talking with the day’s Featured Farmers and getting to know the amazing FFA members working alongside me makes the Pavilion a truly rewarding place to be.

These past seven days have helped me see just how much keeping a positive mindset can transform your day. By focusing on the positive moments and letting them outweigh the negative ones, I have been able to have a blast here at the Great Indiana State Fair. I only get one chance to have the experience of working every single day here, so why not make the most of it? Even if I had this opportunity a million times, I would
still approach it like each time could be my last. By choosing to see the good, the bad becomes better and somehow I always end up with a smile on my face once again. 

It’s so hard to believe that we are already about halfway through the greatest 15 days of the summer!

Positively,

Kaitlyn Maruszewski 

2025-2026 Indiana FFA State President