As a youth, I was presented with many neat opportunities to be a part of organizations and to learn while being in them, one of which was the FFA. I was privileged to be a part of one of the first two homeschool chapters ever in the history of the FFA. This was a unique opportunity because it meant our club was setting a precedence and we had a teacher that was key to it is a good one.
My first career development event was the Environmental and Natural Resources event. During the preparation you this event you learned all about wildlife, forestry, soils, aquatics, current environmental issues and there was a presentation component. I would not trade the knowledge and the personal development preparing for that event and being a part of the FFA afforded me. Especially the ability to be a part of the largest youth organization in all of America.
The FFA has their iconic dress code which is a white collared shirt, black slacks and the ever iconic blue corduroy jacket with the emblem and name of your club. The team I was a part of for the Environmental and Natural Resources event progressed to the national level where we placed 13th in the nation. Going to national convention was surreal as there were literally tens of thousands of students wearing the same uniform as you. I’m not big on matching with everyone but in this case, it was alright because it meant I was part of a much greater community.
I was the secretary for my club so that helped me with note taking skills and gave me the experience I would use for when I was in the leadership of other organizations. Also, we had to use the parliamentary procedure as dictated by Robert’s Rules of Order and that is an invaluable talent in the business world. That along with the exposure to presenting and public speaking will pay endless dividends in my life. Being a part of something greater, something almost everyone in America has heard of or knows of is a great networking tool besides. If you’re a young person and you have a chance to be a part of a national organization, do it, you won’t regret it.