Question: How many of you actually liked high school? I know I didn't. They say it's the best four years of your life, but to me, they were kind of the worst. Now don't get me wrong, I did enjoy some parts of high school. (S/O to William Henry Harrison High School)

But the one thing I will always remember will be all hours spent in the Ag building after (and sometimes during school) doing FFA stuff.

FFA is an AMAZING organization that does amazing things. FFA has been known as "Future Farmers of America" in the past but this organization is made up of more than just farmers. Anyone who wants to join is more than welcome to join.

I am not an Ag major and yet I was an officer of my chapter my senior year. Although sometimes I didn't like wearing that hot corduroy blue jacket in the dead heat of summer or during school hours when people would tease you for wearing it, I wouldn't change a thing. Honestly, if it wasn't for FFA, I probably wouldn't have had many friends. FFA has helped me grow in ways I never thought I would have. Not only did I gain new friends, but I found my confidence and for the first time in my life I could speak for myself.

I have always been somewhat of a shy child and never really had much to say. But during my junior year, I really started to come out of my shell. As the year went on, I go better and better at public speaking, which prepared me for my college speech class.

Although I have graduated, I am still involved with my old chapter. I volunteer there to help out the scrapbook team. And yes I do get asked "Why do I still come?" or "Do you have a life?" and even "You graduated, you don't need to be here."

The answer I want to give is "I still come because this organization has helped me grow and helped me become a better person, and for that, I will always do what I can to help. FFA is forever, and forever I will help."

After all, the FFA motto is "Learning to do, Doing to learn, Earning to live, Living to serve." That right there is some pretty powerful words to live by. And for the past five years, those are the words in which I did/do live by.

Once you start, it is really hard to stop. I just want to say that if it wasn't for these words, I would probably still be stuck in my shyness shell. But no, because I have lived by them I am a forever changed person.

I have always seen the good in people but when you get a bunch of FFA members to do something, they do it. One of my favorite things that my old chapter does is they have a community garden that they plant, weed, water, and harvest all by hand each and every summer. But they don't keep the food or sell it, no they donate it all, ALL, to a food pantry who is always in need of fresh food. To see the faces of the volunteers when buckets full of food come through the door, it's a feeling you will never forget.

But most of all, it's a reaction you will never forget. That right there is what this motto means. I am grateful that I got to experience that whole thing. Living to serve is one reason I want to be a teacher.

All I got to say to anyone reading this is; go serve your community, give back, and see what you can do for your local FFA chapter. Thank you to all of the amazing and wonderful AG teachers and FFA advisers out there! Without you, there would be know AG industry. So thank you. And thank you to FFA in general. You have changed me for the better. I am no longer a shy child, I give back to my community and I have had amazing five years being apart of you. Personal growth is very important to you; and you work hard to see that every member had some sort of personal growth, and I just got to say that you have at least one success story. So thank you!