Thankful for Family Traditions

As we all sit down to enjoy time and food with our family and friends, we often have traditions that make the holiday just a little more special. This year, the State Officer Team reflected on some of the things their families have as Thanksgiving traditions that make the holiday so joyful!

Ally: Every year, it seems like my family always has a little bit of a different type of Thanksgiving. This is probably due to the fact that the Thanksgiving celebrations at my house are never just grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. While I love all of those people dearly, I suppose my favorite family tradition is that it’s never just my “family.” It seems like every year there’s a different group of people because my parents and siblings make it a point to invite anyone who doesn’t have already have Thanksgiving plans. This includes neighbors, friends, friends’ families, people from church, and coworkers. It may not be the traditional Thanksgiving group, but it always reminds me to be thankful for all of the people I’m blessed to have in my life.

Cassie: Thanksgiving at the Bond household just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving if there wasn’t Grandma Dorothy’s infamous macaroni and cheese. Or her famous chocolate chip cookies and berry pie. Or her green bean casserole. Or really anything she makes, because I am very convinced that my Grandma Dorothy is probably the best cook on the face of this earth. After we all eat as much as we possibly can, we all retire to the living room with our cups of coffee and hot chocolate to watch the Dallas Cowboys play football. Now I’ll admit, I’m not very good at keeping up with the game. I learned a long time ago to clap and cheer when my dad and brother do, and normally I’ll end up alright. You can always count on the Bond family to make great food and wear lots of Cowboys gear on Thanksgiving. I hope your Thanksgiving is wonderful and celebrated in the unique way your family does! Go Cowboys!

Caleb: My favorite Thanksgiving family tradition is without a doubt watching the Lions and Cowboys play their Turkey Day games. Usually the rest of my family and I fall asleep long before the games are over, but it's in that moment when I reflect and realize what I'm thankful for. I'm thankful for a family I can come home to, my endless support system of friends, god and last but not least my mother’s cooking. Whether you find yourself watching tv or playing football with family try to find some time to reflect on why you're thankful this thanksgiving season.

Zach: At my house, it’s not Thanksgiving without the good old Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and cooking a turkey. Each year, every television in our home is turned to all the balloons, broadway numbers, and marching bands. Meanwhile, my mom and I are hard at work making sure the turkey is all set to go for all our family coming to visit. Having to stuff a turkey is certainly a strange experience, but it’s a fun one nonetheless. After all of the food has been had, family has left, and the kitchen is cleaned we normally watch some random thanksgiving specials and work up the courage to fight the Black Friday crowds just for fun.

CD: Thanksgiving for my family is a celebration of many things, family, faith, football, and farming. We always see thanksgiving as the time when all the crops are out of the field and we can gather as a family and talk about how good or bad the crop and harvest was and give thanks for a safe harvest season, with the hope of many more to come. Now it wouldn’t be thanksgiving without the food, on the Brinegar side of the family rice pudding is a special treat that we always eat on the holidays. On my mothers side of the family you can’t leave the house without some apple pie and sweet potatoes. But of course it would not be a thanksgiving without watching the Nebraska Cornhuskers beat Iowa on black Friday, Go Big Red!!! The most important thing of all in Thanksgiving is to take a break from harvest, school, or work and put down our phones and spend time with our families.  

Rachel: As thanksgiving comes around it’s a great time for us to remember what we are most thankful for. I’m fortunate enough to have a constant support system, stable foundation for growth, and family that LOVES having a good time and spreading the holiday spirit. Something I have always been proud of is our “Zumbach Family Cause”. Every year each one of our family members donates a gift to someone in need or facing a difficult time. Whether it be a gift card for gas, baked goods, or a letter of appreciation it’s something I’ve always looked forward to over the years.

Carli: Thanksgiving; the holiday where we give thanks for those around us and stuff our faces full of delicious food. That's the generic version anyway… When it comes to my family and thanksgiving it's more like break out the Christmas music, stuff our faces full of food, make fun of each other, going hard core in some board games, card games or at ping pong, and on occasion end the day with either football or Christmas movies. My favorite part of the holiday though would have to be spending quality time with my family and getting to catch up on everyone’s crazy lives.

Peyton: Though it might not sound too exciting, our family’s tradition is simply to celebrate Thanksgiving in a fairly traditional fashion. We all get together, eat a great meal, and dedicate a day to reflecting on all that we have to be thankful for (as cliche as it sounds). It’s so important to take a moment to appreciate all of the blessings in our lives, and an excellent time to do this is when we are surrounded by the people we love most, with a belly full of delicious food. That being said, each year there are a few things I can always count on: a birthday cake being part of the dessert selection, in addition to the typical pies (because my birthday usually falls right before Thanksgiving), stuffing muffins (Tip: Bake your stuffing in a muffin tin. You’ll have perfect-sized servings and everyone will get to have that crunchy part that’s usually only at the top of the pan), and of course, the epic nap that inevitably ensues after that post-dinner food coma hits. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, celebrated with loving family, lots of food, and a grateful heart… and the perfect nap, too!

Annie: Well you know me, I can’t turn down food! Every year we go to my Grandma and Grandpa Sunderman’s house. My family is huge, so trying to compact all of us in one house can be a challenge. My favorite has to be all of the food. From my mom making scalloped oysters (yes they are as gross as they sound) to my grandma making the best pecan pie in the world. Not to mention the beef roll-ups, they are corned beef with a mixture of cream cheese and horseradish (they are like heaven). After the amazing meals, not only are our bellies full but also our hearts. Since my family is so big sometimes it's hard to see them often. Thanksgiving gives us a chance to catch up. If we are lucky enough to have nice weather, we will go outside and play some football. When I think about Thanksgiving I hear all of the laughs, the smell of the food, and my heart swells. I am always thankful for my amazing family, but I’m glad we have a day to recognize it a little more. I hope you guys get the chance to look around for what you are most thankful for. I also hope you have a great Thanksgiving and make sure to eat some mashed potatoes for me!  

National Convention 2017: Kevin and Jaxon's Story

Kevin:

The 90th National FFA Convention and Expo was definitely one to remember. This was for many reasons, but most notably being my selection to serve as a voting delegate for the state of Iowa. With this title, it was my responsibility, as well as the other delegates', to work on a committee which oversee the acceptance or rejection of a new policy within the FFA. 

The specific committee which I got to work on, involved the implementation of unpaid SAE hours for the Chapter, State, and American degrees. I loved working on this committee for numerous reasons. The foremost being the fact that I got to interact with dozens of other FFA members from across all 50 states. Hearing about each state's interests was truly eye opening, as I had no idea how much differentiation between each state there truly was. Additionally, I loved how I was able to voice Iowa's opinions on the matter, and get involved with helping direct our great organization. 

Aside from my delegate responsibilities, I was able to explore the expo and watch each general session. The expo was amazing - filled with amazing booths and free custard, how could anyone not enjoy it? And as for the general sessions - they were all phenomenal. Being able to listen to the keynote speakers has taught me a lot about leadership and the responsibilities in life that each of us hold as FFA members. Similarly, and equally as amazing, the RA's of the National Officer team were truly inspirational. Acceptance, love, and success - they are all principles the officers advocated throughout their speeches, and they could not have done a better job. 

Jaxon:

The 90th National FFA Convention and Expo was nothing short of a great success. The streets of Indianapolis were filled with over 60,000 blue corduroy jackets and a few slightly aggravated drivers, might I add. The city was once again brought to life by the passion and excitement for agriculture FFA members brought with them to convention. National Convention is the capstone event of our organization and the opportunities it holds are overwhelming. As I reflect on my own experience, one question comes to mind. What is it that makes National Convention so incredible?

This year, I had the opportunity to travel to convention with the Iowa FFA State Officer Team to serve as a National Delegate. Delegates are charged with the responsibility of representing their state association while working to forward the progress of the entire organization. As a delegate, I was able to participate in a number of meaningful discussions about various issues affecting FFA and its members. This experience allowed me to make an impact on a National level and meet so many wonderful people. Being surrounded by hundreds of members with a vision for the future reminded me why FFA is able to do all that it does.

Aside from being a delegate, I attended general sessions, toured the expo, visited the shopping mall, and much more. During sessions, I watched hundreds of hours of preparation come to fruition for members who were recognized for their achievements in competitive events. Additionally, retiring addresses from the National FFA Officer Team and presentations from motivational speakers left a lasting impact on me not only as an FFA member but as a person. At the Expo, I conversed with numerous industry professionals and representatives of many colleges who were intrigued about what FFA has done for me. This was a great resource for me to learn about many career paths and programs available in the agriculture industry.

Returning to my original question, I struggle to come to a single answer. This is because it is the combination of many things that complete the experience and make the National FFA Convention and Expo so memorable. It’s the feeling you get when you were just one dot in a sea of blue that reminds you that you’re part of something bigger than yourself. It’s being proud to wear the blue corduroy because you know there are 650,000 other members who stand behind you. It’s making memories with friends from across the nation that will last a lifetime. It’s being inspired by the words of a National Officer. Undoubtedly, the experiences I’ve had National Convention are something that I will cherish forever.

 Kevin Werner and Jaxon Mullinnix

District Officers

National Delegates

Work Smarter, Not Harder

College is expensive; whether you’re going to a trade school, community college, or university, in-state or out of state, private or public, there’s no denying it. Post-secondary education, as useful and important as it is, can really put a dent in your pocketbook. As a first year student at Iowa State University, I am well aware of the struggles of affording college. While I don’t claim to be a scholarship expert by any means, as someone who graduated high school with nearly $40,000 in scholarships I also know there are a lot of opportunities to ease the financial burden of the next step in your life. Here are some of my best tips:

Get organized. I know how busy your senior year can be: planning commencement with your class, figuring out details for your graduation party, enjoying the “lasts” of all your extracurriculars, working a part-time job, getting good grades, and trying to be a kid and an adult at the same time. Things can easily get lost in the shuffle of your last year of high school, so organization is the key to earning as many scholarships as possible. Whether this organization is physical or electronic, or both, figure out a system that works for you to keep track of due dates, applications, essays, transcripts, and other important information.

One thing I did to keep my scholarship hunt on track was create a “Scholarship Notebook” using Microsoft Word’s Notebook template. I used this organize general information that many scholarships ask for in one tab, like estimated college cost per year, University  ID, high school GPA and class rank, standardized test scores (like the ACT, SAT, or COMPASS), and your school’s address. I also used tabs for scholarships I still needed to work on, applications that needed signatures or mailed, applications I had competed, and scholarships I was awarded.

Use all your resources. The most common thing I heard from my classmates regarding scholarships was “I don’t know where to look for them.” There are so many places to find scholarships and grants, you just need to open your eyes! Here’s just a handful of the places I used to find free money:

·      My high school guidance counselor was a wonderful resource. The guidance counselor is usually the person who receives scholarship information from people and clubs in your community. They also went to school to help you go to school!

·      Your college/university/trade school’s financial aid website is another great place to find scholarships. Even if you receive an automatic award from your school, you can, and should, look for other scholarships through your financial aid office because they are completely different. I can only speak for Iowa State’s site personally, but I do know they have a lot of great resources, and with only a few quick searches it was easy to find similar information for schools like DMACC, Kirkwood, Indian Hills, NWMSU, and SDSU. Often times money distributed by your school requires little effort compared to other scholarships, so it’s definitely worth a look.

·      The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or the FAFSA, is not the most exciting application to fill out. However, not only can you receive some money directly from the application depending on your financial situation, many scholarships also require you to prove you filled the application out. If you live in Iowa, your FAFSA will give you the option to fill out the Iowa College Aid application after you complete it. Do this as well!

·      Scholarship search engines, like Fastweb, Unigo, or Scholarships.com are another place many people forget to look for scholarships. These websites can open your search up to a national and global level.

Ask for some stellar letters of recommendation. I would say over half of the scholarships I applied for required at least one letter of recommendation or character reference. My best advice on this topic is to ask the people you want to write for you as soon as possible. Not only is it more courteous to them, there’s also a pretty good chance you will get a better letter because they had more time to craft it. Also, don’t be afraid to send them an academic resume or list of activities you’ve been involved in when you ask them to write for you. Even if they know you very well, they may forget what you’ve done throughout high school. These lists will help them write the best letter possible. Some of the people you may want to ask for letters include:

·      Guidance counselor

·      Principal or superintendent

·      FFA advisor

·      4-H leader or county extension employee

·      Coach, band director, or other extracurricular leader

·      Employer or supervisor

·      Professional contacts you may have (One of mine was from the Iowa Soybean Association, for example)

·      Pastor, priest, or other contacts from your church

Apply, apply, apply! Seriously, unless the scholarship is restricted to Aerospace Engineering majors and you are going to school for English, apply for anything that comes down the pipe. I know many of the people reading this are probably interested in some sort of agriculture or life science major. While there are a lot of scholarships in that area, don’t be afraid to look into more general opportunities that aren’t major specific. I applied for a scholarship that I “wasn’t going to get,” and I got $800 out of it, so never be afraid to apply for something you don’t feel quite as confidently about. On that same note, don’t discount the scholarships that only award $250, $500, or even $1000. Aside from the automatic awards I received from ISU, only two of my scholarships were $2000 or more; the smaller amounts are really what add up. My guidance counselor explained it best: if you spend 2 hours on a scholarship that is $500 and you receive it, you just made $250 per hour. Now, unless your part time afterschool job pays $250 an hour, I’d say those smaller scholarships are worth it, too.

Scholarships are the best way to ease the financial burden of furthering your education after high school. With a little bit of researching, and some effort, you can completely transform how you pay for college in just a few months!

Emily Campbell

Agricultural Studies, Iowa State University

Past Southwest District Reporter