Same Jacket, Different Story

Anticipation, excitement, joy, and a little bit of nervousness- these were the things running through my head the night before leaving for National Convention this year. I was THRILLED to be heading to Indianapolis as a delegate to meet up with over 50,000 of my coolest friends, but I was also a little worried. I was going to be spending a whole week with the state officers. Now don’t get me wrong- our state officers are really awesome people and I knew they were going to be a lot of fun but there was a voice in my head saying, “You’re the only one that doesn’t quite fit.” Yet, as our road trip to Indiana started the next morning, I realized my concerns from the night before were pretty ridiculous. I was reminded of how amazingly down-to-earth and friendly I knew our state officers were, but more than that I began to process how truly united we were as FFA members.

As delegates, it was our responsibility to represent Iowa on committees that would form proposals for the entire delegate body. During these meetings, FFA members from all over the United States came together to form a committee report. With so many people from so many places, I noticed how different FFA was throughout the country. Every FFA member I met had a different story, a different experience in agriculture, and a different perspective on things. Occasionally this was seen through disagreements in committee meetings since, as it turns out, sometimes people don’t always see eye to eye. Yet, every time a conclusion was reached and a meeting was adjourned, I left with incredible new friends. It didn’t matter that we were from different parts of the country or that we didn’t agree on something, we all held the same respect for each other and our purpose as delegates.

From the delegate experience, I learned a number of valuable things. Among these was a genuine realization of how much there was to learn from my fellow FFA members. There were a lot of people who experienced their passion for FFA and agriculture in a different way than I did. Somehow, though, it didn’t matter what differences there were between us. At the end of the day, everyone has on the same blue jacket, no matter what is on the back or what position we hold. FFA unites us with a common goal and a passion for agriculture.

Ally Babcock

2016 Iowa FFA Delegate