Cultivating Intentionality

Throughout the past couple of weeks, I have had the chance to really get to know my teammates. The things they love doing, hate doing, what makes them tick, what makes them laugh, and everything in between. We are all completely different people, but we already have managed to find one thing we all somewhat enjoy doing - shopping at the Goodwill Outlet. Now, if you haven’t been to a Goodwill Outlet, I challenge you to hop in your car right now and go find one. There are BINS FULL of clothes, random items, and furniture. I will admit, I had the thought that this was not going to be worth my time before walking through those automatic doors. Honestly, it felt a lot like the beginning of The Hunger Games when the players run and find their weapons and what they think is needed. People were lining the walls, waiting for the bins to be put out for the next rotation. 

As we started in, I found that there was some (surprisingly) high quality stuff. Teammates were rummaging through the bins, finding items that we all needed (especially for the price). These moments are ones I will never take for granted - because we were cultivating intentionality in those small moments. Sometimes, it’s those moments when we are living in the moment and being spontaneous, we make the most unforgettable memories. Throughout my time in the house with my teammates, we have already made those intentional memories. From buying pairs of jeans that are way too large and trying to fit in them, to sitting around the campfire, listening to the sounds of the center while making smores.

We all have the ability to cultivate intentionality. I challenge you to make those memories. Go on those unplanned trips. Take some risks that will allow you to grow individually and with the people surrounding you. Cultivate. Intentionality.

Living purposefully,

Jordyn Wickard

Keep on the Sunny Side

Soft buzzing sounds, fuzzy yellow bugs with stripes of black zipping around my head, and the sweet sweet smell of nectar and beeswax are the thoughts that filled my head for months. I wanted to become a beekeeper! Just the thought of having bees gave me a jolt of excitement, but also dread. This is because I was going to have to muster up enough courage to ask my parents if they were okay with me wanting to become a beekeeper. My mother was ecstatic and was already sold on the idea when I told her, however, my dad was weary. He hates bees, they can sting him and he does not like the idea that they can do that. Despite this, my mother and I pushed on. 

As a result of my mother and I’s persistence, we have been beekeepers for almost a year and a half now and it is so much fun! We get to go out and enjoy being with the bees, as well as go out and collect swarms across Rush County. While at times it can be stressful it is well worth it. I can spend time with my mom and slowly help my dad overcome his fear of bees, it was well worth it. 

When it comes to presenting a new idea whether it be to a group of classmates, fellow members, or even our family it can be hard to do so. This could be from the thought of your idea or passion being viewed in a negative light rather than the positive one you hold, or the fact that the idea might get shot down. This can be scary, but you do not know until you try. Never bee afraid to bring forth your idea, it would bee a shame.

Keep on the sunny side,

   Jeremiah Geise

Only Child to 6 New Siblings

Only Child, 6 New Siblings

I grew up in a house with only my mom and me. After spending two weeks with the new team, I started to realize that the crazy had only begun. However, I would not trade these new experiences with built in brothers and sisters for the world. I thought I would include some funny, interesting things I have found out along the way.

Your closet is no longer “your closet”- As we were moving in, all four girls unloaded their bags removing loads of clothes. As I was unpacking my own, all of us made an agreement that our closets were free game. I had never shared clothes before so this was all new to me. I guess my closet size just multiplied by four.

Ordering family size is normal- One of our dinners during base camp was a trip to Buca di Beppo. I had never gone due to the smaller size of my family. As I watched Martin order three large family size entrees, I was shocked. I had no clue how we were going to eat all of it. However, I had to realize that I was no longer eating with one other family member but with eight other people that night.

Your comfort zone will be destroyed- One of the more interesting stories of the first week was trying out the rope swing. To be very honest, I was super scared. As the team started going off the rope one by one, I was still at the top wanting to avoid my turn. It came to the moment everyone had been waiting for. I went to grab on to the rope swing and it took me a good ten minutes before I would swing off. However, I did not let go my first time and instead swung right back onto the ground. It took a lot of encouragement for me to eventually go again and actually land in the water.

We all care about each other no matter what- As we have grown to know each other more this week, we have gotten to know all the nitty gritty about our pasts and why we are the person that you see today. Those personal moments are something I would not trade for the world. The State Officer Team truly is one large family. They are those people that you trust so soon that you wonder if you are crazy. It is a home despite not living in the one you grew up in for so many years.

Dear Kourtney, Nicholas, Tyler, Abby, Jordyn, and Jeremiah,

I am so thankful to be a part of this team with you all this year. I can already tell that we are going to grow so much through this experience and I am glad that I have the pleasure of doing it with you. You all have such kind hearts that have welcomed me in like the family I never knew I needed. The laughs and small moments make this team so special.

With Love,

Madisen Carns

2021-2022 Officer Intros

After one final tap of a gavel, seven individuals’ lives changed within a blink of an eye. Each one taking the giant step towards a year of service. Now, it’s your chance to meet them. 

From Madisen Carns,

Hello, Indiana FFA! I am thrilled to be serving the organization this year as your 2021-2022 State Sentinel. I hail from the Mt.Vernon @ Fortville chapter located near Greenfield, Indiana but was an out-of-district student. I do not have the agricultural background of some of my teammates and was raised in a more quiet suburban setting. However, I can proudly say that ever since my sophomore year of high school; I have been highly involved in this wonderful organization. My passion for personal growth and agriculture has only increased through these past couple of years. Also, I cannot lie I am a huge fan of Meats Judging as well. I look forward to meeting all of you and seeing the great things we can accomplish together! Indiana FFA, let's get started on a fantastic year!

From Jeremiah Geise,

Heyo Indiana FFA! I am excited to be serving as the 2021-2022 State Reporter! I hail from the Rushville FFA Chapter in District IX, where I competed in a variety of CDEs and LDEs including; Livestock Skill-a-thon, Soils Judging, Parliamentary Procedure, Agricultural Sales, and Employment Skills. I am very fortunate to have a deep connection to the agricultural industry through my family farm where we raise sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, and rabbits, in addition to our apiary. I am excited to travel across the state and learn more about the members of Indiana FFA.

From Jordyn Wickard,

Hey hey, Indiana FFA! I am Jordyn Wickard, and I'm ecstatic to serve Indiana FFA this year as the State Treasurer! I hail from the Eastern Hancock FFA Chapter located in District 8 (get ready, because D8 brings the party). I am from the town of Greenfield, Indiana. I am a lover of all things turquoise, pink drinks, the color yellow, and ANYTHING cows. I grew up on my family farm, where we raise and show registered Angus cattle, and started a Boer goat herd in 2015. My happy place is the barn, and you could often find me there anyday working and washing my livestock. I LOVE people and am often described as a social butterfly. I am beyond excited to build connections with FFA members across this amazing state this year and help members feel valued, loved, and heard. Get excited, Indiana FFA!

From Abby Stuckwisch,

Coming from the small town of Brownstown in District XI, I am ecstatic to be leading Indiana FFA in such a large way! This year I will be serving as the 2021-2022 Indiana FFA State Southern Region Vice President, and when I say I couldn’t be more thrilled, I SERIOUSLY couldn’t be more thrilled. Growing up I definitely had my fair share of exposure to the agriculture world as I helped out my dad on the farm herding pigs, riding in tractors, and stacking firewood. Throughout my time in FFA you could find me attending conferences, participating in crops and soils judging, laughing with my team during parliamentary procedure practices, and spending long hours in the ag room preparing for leadership development events.  My true passion emerged as I participated in the Agriculture Education CDE and began my own Agriculture Education SAE; it is truly this experience that has encouraged me to continue advocating for agriculture and teaching others. As I look forward to this year, I can’t wait to meet, serve, and learn from each and every one of you. Indiana FFA, let’s  get ready for a truly sensational year!

From Tyler Kilmer,

Hello Indiana FFA! I am extremely excited to be serving as the 2021-2022 Indiana FFA Northern Region Vice President. I hail from the Tri-County FFA chapter in Wolcott all the way up in District 1. For as long as I can remember I have been involved in agriculture. From memories of sitting on my grandpa’s lap in the tractor to working 4-H animals in the summer. When the opportunity to join FFA arrived I jumped at the chance to be a part of this organization. FFA has provided me with numerous opportunities to serve my community and to advance my knowledge and skills. Throughout high school, I had a very diverse FFA experience. I made it a goal to try as many Career and Leadership development events as possible. This led me to be active on the parliamentary procedures team, soils team, public speaking, and everything else in-between. I also had the wonderful opportunity to attend and later council at both FIRE and SOAR. It is because of these opportunities that I decided to run for state office so that I can continue to impact members both young and old. Indiana FFA I can not wait to get to know you and make more memories with you.

From Nicholas Neuman,

Hello FFA! I am beyond grateful to serve this next year as the 2021-22 Indiana FFA State Secretary! I am proud to call the Rushville FFA Chapter in District IX (#Cloud9) my home chapter. Being a second generation FFA member and lifelong agriculturalist, the blue corduroy has always been present in my life. While I grew up on a traditional cattle and swine operation, I consider the dairy industry my true passion. From livestock skill-a-thon to parliamentary procedure to public speaking to dairy judging, I’ve tried just about everything that FFA has to offer. If I wasn’t in the Ag Building practicing CDEs, you could most likely find me playing soccer with friends. I’m an avid baker, Walmart t-shirt buyer, and Criminal Minds watcher. I’m ecstatic to embrace the uncertainty of this year and make lasting, meaningful connections. Indiana FFA, I am so excited to grow alongside the amazing individuals in this organization!

From Kourtney Otte, 

Hi, Indiana FFA! I am beyond honored to be able to serve you all as the 2021-2022 State President. My roots are dug deep in Seymour, Indiana located in District XI (I also proudly call Seymour FFA home.) My passion for the agriculture industry started on my grandparents farm, but quickly grew like a wildfire through FFA. Originally I planned on following in my mother’s footsteps with livestocking judging and parliamentary procedure, but that quickly changed when my advisor pulled me in for creed speaking… I haven’t looked back since. Over the past 5 years I’ve competed in countless CDE’s and LDE’s to the point that I can’t remember most of them. But, anytime I couldn’t be found in the ag room, you could always find me curled up with a new book (please send me book recommendations)  or with bits of charcoal under my fingernails.

As we all enter the next chapter in our lives, the team and I could not be any more excited to experience this year with you all and create memories that last a lifetime. Indiana FFA, as always, keep being awesome. 

With love, 

2021-2022 Officer Team

Signing Off

2020-2021 Indiana FFA State Officer Team

Shelbyville Central. Hamilton Heights. Tri-County. Eastern Hancock. Wawasee. Union City. Frontier. We came from different towns, different chapters, and different backgrounds. We each had our own FFA story and varying levels of agricultural experience. We reached this unique and special moment from different and diverse paths. 

Our journey ended just like it began. We embraced the challenges of a difficult year and created new opportunities for our members. We are thankful that you trusted us to guide Indiana FFA over the past twelve months. We’ve been through a lot together. Coming into State Office, we were surrounded by the uncertainties of a virtual State Convention. To end this year with thousands of FFA members celebrating at the State Fairgrounds was a huge milestone. We recognize the hardships and struggles that many went through during this time. The mental drain of constantly shifting plans brought us to our limits. Through every hurdle that Indiana FFA faced, we never gave up. The past year has proven our strength and resilience. It’s not easy to crush our spirit. And it's definitely not easy to tell the FFA that something cannot be done.

We are forever grateful to the members who participated in our programs and showed up when we needed them the most. In-person conferences and traveling for FFA Week became some of the biggest highlights from the year. We appreciate the advisors who went out of their way to motivate students and increase involvement. Without a strong presence in the classroom, our events would not have been as successful and our impact not as great. We would also like to recognize our incredible state staff who constantly inspired us. Their continued dedication to Indiana FFA gave us the foundation to reach ever greater heights.

As our world returns back to normal and our organization walks a new path, remember what you embraced from this year. Take what you have learned, make it a part of your personal journey, and use it to impact others. Thank you for letting us be a part of that process with you.

Signing Off,

Julia, Kylie, Blayne, Loren, Evan, Derick, and Luc

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? 

What to look for at the 92nd Indiana FFA State Convention:

1. Inspiring Retiring Addresses

2. Engaging Workshops

3. Recognition of members

4. State Officer Scavenger Hunt

5. Motivational Keynote Speakers

Learn more about these and what the 92 IN FFA State Convention has to offer by downloading the State Convention Mobile App!

• Visit: m.inffa.org

• Add the tab to your home screen!

(Photo: 2020-21 State Officer Team “State Convention Mood”)

Messages from Marijo

My parents divorced when I was just 8 years old. When my father left, it was just my older brother, my mom, and me. There’s no doubt that my mom is my best friend. She has been with me since day 1 and has helped me at my lowest and celebrated with me at my highest. Through everything though, she has taught me a few things that I have really pondered on this year that I would like to share with Indiana FFA: 

1. Never leave the house without saying I Love You. We simply aren’t ever guaranteed a safe return home. Because of this, I was raised to always say I Love You when I leave the house so that, if for some reason my time comes to an end once I leave, my loved ones know that I love them. 

2. Don’t go to bed angry. Think about the last time you were in an argument with someone and went to bed still angry at them. What was that argument about? Would a simple conversation have solved everything? Again, it’s one of those things that we're never guaranteed tomorrow. Plus, being angry for too long can truly damage a relationship. 

3. Be kind. It’s short, sweet, and simple. Kindness is key in this world. My mom taught me that it’s not cute or cool to be rude or disrespectful to others, but we can do a lot of good in this world if we just choose kindness. 

4. Love Yourself. This was a lesson I struggled with for a while. I couldn’t talk right and I was super insecure about my body image. My mom would continuously tell me, “Julia, just love yourself. You are perfect.” We are all unique in our own ways, and that diversity should be a push to love ourselves. 

5. A leader isn’t always the boss. We all have our own leadership styles. Sometimes, the strongest leaders are those who are actively listening and not talking or guiding as much. I’ve learned that this is more of my leadership style, and to embrace it. 

6. It’s not cool to be selfish. This advice dates back to a school trip I took in 7th grade where a group of girls stuck together and tried a bit too hard to show off and get attention. My mom told me, “Don’t be an all about me person. There’s no I in Team.” When you’re just focused on yourself and only yourself, at least to my mom and I, it doesn’t look cool, but it looks foolish. Selflessness can go a long way. 

I think my teammates can attest that my mom, Marijo, is a pretty wise person who has been through a lot and has taught me how to live. I hate to admit it but, my mom is right 99.99% of the time and knows what she’s talking about. Middle school Julia would be furious that I’m admitting this, but she really does know best. This is just a snippet of the advice she has given me in my 19 years, as she has truly guided me through everything I’ve gone through. I encourage everyone to read through these pieces and see how we can incorporate them into our own lives. 

Always following Mom’s word, 

Julia Hamblen

2020-2021 Indiana FFA State President