In High School, a three lettered acronym served as a paradigm shift for me. It was something that opened my eyes to new possibilities, something that changed me. This organization not only became a very important part of my life, but showed me who I could be. Who I can be. What is this club, you may ask, it’s the FFA. For those of you who don’t know what these 3 letters stand for, they are just that, three letters strung together. But for me, they represent more than 4 years of memories, experiences, and opportunities. Opportunities to grow, learn, meet new people, travel, and try new things.
A little bit of history, the FFA started in 1928, with 33 farm-boys from Virginia. Little did they know that this club they started, called the Future Farmers of America, would become the Nations’ leading youth development organization decades later. With over half a million members, the FFA boasts members from all 50 states, including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Alaska, and Hawaii. The FFA strives to develop “premier leadership, personal growth, and career success,” in High Schoolers in Agriculture Education. This is through ag class, trips and conferences, competitions, and meeting new people. You do not have to live on a farm to be part of the FFA. I bet you didn’t know that some of the major cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, and New York City all have FFA Chapters. The name was official changed from “Future Farmers of America,” to the National FFA Organization to demonstrate that anyone can join!
This all started at the end of 9th grade for me, when my Agriculture Education teacher saw something in me I didn’t see in myself. He urged me to write an essay to get an FFA jacket for free. I did, and was chosen as one of the recipients at the state level to receive that Blue and Gold jacket, which is an important part of the official dress for FFA members. The rest is history. I joined the FFA, made friends, started to become more confident in not only myself, but also my abilities. I became a lot more comfortable in meeting new people and trying new things. I even got the chance to go to Indianapolis for the FFA National Convention (this is a REALLY big deal) to compete in Dairy Foods Judging at the National Level! Through these experiences, I didn’t just learn about milk, chickens, and fish, but also public speaking, teamwork, and most importantly leadership.
The FFA, to you might simply be three letters, strung together. To you, it might be just a bunch of “aggies” in a club. But to me, it is so much more. The FFA represents a change in my life, it represents me working towards goals, and achieving them. It represents all the times I didn’t want to step out of my comfort zone, but did and made a difference. To me, the FFA changed my life.
Hi Sarabeth,
Once again you address the sterotypes that plague the agriculture field in a direct and swashbuckling style! Furthermore, you gave solid evidence and support on what made the FFA so special and the opportuinites it provided, which portrays your paradigm shift perfectly. Well done.
To be honest, when you first said FFA, the first thought that came to my mind was Napoleon Dynamite. While that may not have exactly portrayed the organization in the best of lights, I believe your post definitely succeeded in doing so. Your post also does a great job of informing readers what exactly the organization is and what it does and illustrating its significance both to you and the world. You have solid organization and a great approach to this topic.
Nice job!
This very cool. I always love reading your posts because they always focus on things I never even knew existed and I reading about these new things. Your use of repetition at the beginning of sentences gives the post a very gripping style. Maybe a little more focus on exactly what changed in you would be good, but the gist is there. Good job