Next week marks National FFA Week and for many of us this week brings back memories of our FFA days. Over the last week or so we have challenged our employees who are former FFA members to reminisce on their days in the blue jacket. Anna, Danielle, Elizabeth, Justin, Lara and Patty have seen first hand what FFA and agriculture education can do for students. For us and for many other students it has instilled confidence, made us step outside of our comfort zones and helped find passions for future careers.
Joining the FFA for Patty Short was a whole new world of opportunity that was opened up to her when the FFA allowed membership to girls. It provided new opportunities to travel and meet new people. One place she holds near to her heart is FFA Camp. She spent several summers as a camper and then eventually went on to be a counselor. For Short, FFA was a safe space to discuss the struggles of agriculture and find hope in the future.
“FFA allowed what I call us ‘country kids’ a fellowship to discuss our goals and dreams with the family farms and businesses that we were living on,” said Short. “Remember this was the late 70’s and many family farms, especially dairy, were selling off left and right. Around this same time, just the term ‘farming’ changed. We started seeing large corporate farms on one end of the spectrum and on the other end, ‘hobby’ farms, each farmer proud of their contribution to society.”
When Short thinks back to her time in the FFA one word comes to mind, pride. “I think that pride is the best word to describe what I learned from FFA and what I still take with me on a daily basis, no matter if I work for Paul Hall or if I am playing in my gardens at home. “
For Anna Hall-Stroud the FFA gave her lifelong friendships, a love for dairy cattle and the ability to stand in front of a crowd and give a speech. At the time standing in the freezing cold for dairy judging wouldn’t have been her favorite aspect of the FFA, but now as she looks back she has realized that those times were some of her favorite. Judging gave her the opportunity to travel around the state and country. This was also where she formed relationships with her coworker Lara and with people from across the state and country. Even after her time in the FFA judging contest she was able to be involved with the team at Ohio State under a great coach. This coach has remained a great friend and even made ice cream for her wedding this past summer!
Speaking contests were also among her favorite memories as an FFA member and now as a coach/judge. “The thrill and terror of getting in front of people to speak about ag taught me so much about myself and has drastically helped me get to where I am today,” said Stroud. “Now as I coach students and also judge speaking contests all across the state, I have the opportunity to grow others as this contest once grew me.”
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There is no one way that you can describe the importance FFA had in her life. Joining as a freshman in high school, she dreaded being put in the farm class. Now looking back 13 years later, she cannot thank her parents enough for forcing her to join such an amazing organization.
“From that first creed speaking contest to becoming a state officer, every aspect of my time spent in FFA grew my abilities in one way or another,” said Stroud. “Now as an FFA Alumni, I instantly have connections with people all around the country and I have gained so much in life through the connections FFA has created for me. As cliché as it sounds, FFA truly is the reason I am who I am today. Without FFA I would’ve never chosen to go to Ohio State, I would’ve never majored in ag communications and I very likely would’ve never ended up moving home to take a position in my father’s agency.”
Lara Staples joined the FFA as a freshman and didn’t realize quite the impact it would have on her life. “Agriculture was just a word in my vocabulary before I joined the program,” said Staples. “Thanks to my FFA adviser and a few other key individuals, FFA changed the course of my life goals entirely.”
As Staples began getting involved in all things the FFA had to offer she began to realized hidden passions, which eventually changed the course of her life. Originally, she dreamed of going to college to be an engineer but during the course of her FFA career she participated in career development events (CDEs) which eventually led her to attending Ohio State to receive degrees in agricultural communication and animal sciences. This change in heart came after being elected to State Vice President of the Ohio FFA and serving as the Ohio Fair’s Queen.
“It should be important to others to try something that they would never have imagined themselves doing,” said Staples. “Had my sister not forced me to join the FFA my freshman year of high school, who knows where I would be today. You never know what one seemingly small decision can mean long term until you look back on that pivotal moment years later.”
Lillian McConnaughey was a member for four years and some of her favorite memories include National Convention and working on shop projects. Being involved in the FFA provided many opportunities and eventually helped her pursue higher education.
“I was able to receive 2 scholarships to put toward college,” said McConnaughey. “FFA is important to me because I enjoy learning and knowing about the agricultural lifestyle, and I have many family members that make their living farming or involved in agriculture.”
Now looking back, McConnaughey accredits the FFA for providing her with the ability to speak publicly and professionally. Events put on by her chapter gave her the opportunity to network and speak to others in an appropriate manner. This has come through as an incredible asset while working at Paul Hall & Associates.
Elizabeth Overholt grew up in northeast Ohio and attended West Holmes High School where she was involved in the FFA program there. Joining the FFA was something she realized was apart of the plan early on with two older brothers paving the way. Naturally, because of the involvement of her brothers, jumping in head first was at the top of her list. Overholt saw the opportunities that the FFA provided for her older brothers and decided that she wanted to get out of it what they had. Some of the best advice she received is that ‘the FFA is like a piggy bank, what you put in is what you will receive in the end’.
“The National FFA Organization provides students with the skills to be successful in and out of the classroom,” said Overholt. “It teaches you life lessons that cannot be learned inside the typical classroom. If it had not been for the FFA organization and the difference it made in my life, I wouldn’t be where I am today. The FFA gave me skills in public speaking, interviewing and networking.”
One of the greatest lessons she learned while in the FFA is service. Starting as a freshman and going all the way through her state officer year, serving others and her community became a priority.
“Part of the FFA moto is ‘living to serve’ and that aspect is something that I truly can say has stuck with me until now,” said Overholt. “Being involved in the community and helping others is something that the FFA instilled in me and I am often reminded of the importance of giving back or paying it forward on a daily basis.”
In addition to our very own FFA alumni, Paul Hall & Associates sees the value in the National FFA Organization. FFA is an organization that can take youth and truly teach them life skills necessary to build a future. The youth of our communities require our support. As a business, we want to see youth excel in all their dreams. We have developed a college scholarship that gives priority to students in FFA that have interest in the area of agriculture. Our support as a business and as individuals is critical for our future, and for theirs. Paul Hall and Associates has been a sponsor of FFA and junior fair for many years. Paul is always willing to let employees leave work to judge contests or help with judging practices. He has always been a financial supporter of local chapters' fundraisers and bought countless projects at the county fair. His most recent investment in the FFA was his purchase of the corn roaster for the county chapters to use at the fair for their corn booth.
