FFA. Formerly known as Future Farmers of America has grown into so much more since it was founded in 1928. Now, I cannot speak for everyone's experience with this organization because it offers so many different and unique opportunities for each and every member. But I think I can make a blanket statement by simply saying that FFA changes lives for the better.

My FFA career began when I enrolled in the Introduction to Agriculture course at Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School during my Freshman year. I had heard of the organization before and I had known many people who were a part of it, but I didn't take this course with the intention of joining. I simply took it because I enjoyed science and I was friends with a few people who were also taking the class.

Entering that classroom on the first day of school was a little intimidating. There were plaques and various awards covering all of the walls and there were upperclassmen wondering around everywhere preparing for the start of a new year. I would soon learn that this classroom was home to so much more than just students interested in agriculture but was instead a launchpad for successful futures for students from all backgrounds.

It was in that classroom, shop, and greenhouse that I began to find myself. It was the place that my shy little freshman-self grew into a sophomore with big dreams, a junior full of goals, and a senior with the foundation to take on the world.

You see, FFA gave me the chance to travel, to lead, and to learn. I was able to attend my first Illinois Association FFA State Convention during the summer after my freshman year. At the convention, I saw a huge convention hall full of students from all over Illinois. Within the sea of blue jackets, I saw friends from opposite sides of the state reunited and I saw the passion that each and every one of these students had for agriculture and the FFA. It was at the convention that I realized that I was in the right place, that I had found a place to call home for the next three years.

Later that summer, I attended Illinois FFA Leadership Camp where I was taken way out of my comfort zone. As I mentioned, I was a very shy freshman and at Leadership Camp we were separated from the students from our school. In fact, I barely saw them that whole week. It was terrifying at first, but by the end of the week, I had friends who I would continue to keep in contact with to this day. Leadership Camp was unlike any experience that I had had before and I am sure that without it I would be a very different person today.

The next huge experience that I had with the FFA was attending and competing at my first National FFA Convention. When we boarded the bus that morning, I was full of anticipation. As we headed toward Indy, my nerves began to grow. This would be my first time ever competing in a national competition of any sort. Once we arrived, though, my nerves began to settle a bit. I looked out the windows of the bus and saw one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. The streets of Indianapolis were flooded with students wearing that blue corduroy jacket from all over the country.

National FFA Convention is one experience that I don't think can be easily put into words. Sitting in a stadium with 60,000 FFA members full of excitement and ambition is a feeling unlike any other.

As I went through the rest of my FFA career I was able to compete in Career Development Events such as Horticulture, Envirothon, Ag Business, Dairy Foods, and the list could go on and on. One of my favorite FFA events had to be the Agriscience Fair. I competed at the state level multiple times and during the summer after my senior year, I presented my final and favorite science project in the food science category. I had studied various substitutes for eggs in baking. It was a very personal project and win or lose, I would have been proud of that accomplishment. That year I won my section of the Illinois FFA Agriscience Fair and my project went on to be judged at the national level where it received a Bronze rating. That project was the beginning of my transition from who I was in high school to the person that I am today.

As you can tell from this article, FFA impacted my life in a huge way. The experiences that I had taught me to take risks and to have courage in myself. As a result of my FFA experience, I found my passion for agriculture and am now pursuing a degree in Agriculture Communications and Leadership at Illinois State University.

I may have moved on from FFA in my college career, but the lessons that I learned stay with me in everything that I do. This past year I have served as part of the Student Leadership Team for Agriculture Future of America. This organization has helped me to continue the growth that I began 7 years ago when I joined the FFA.

I truly believe that the FFA has the power to change lives. It changed mine for the better in so many ways. I have friends from all over the United States, I have so much more self-confidence, I have the courage to dream big and the skills that I need to take on the world. Thank you, FFA, for showing me that I have the ability to accomplish anything and everything that I set my mind to!

I am a proud FFA Alumni and I encourage everyone to get involved with this organization, regardless of your background. I promise you that you will never regret it.

Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve