Throw Back Thursday - Meaningful Service

I spent the first week of 2017 in the mountains of northern Haiti. I could take the next twenty pages just detailing the events of each day, but instead I want to share some interesting lessons I learned over the course of the trip.

Lesson One: A smile and a wave can break through any language barrier.
On the four hour drive from Port-au-Prince to the the university where we would be staying and working, I rode in the back of a van. Although this spot made the banging and bouncing of the trip a little more extreme, it gave me a unique vantage point on the trek. I can distinctly remember looking out the back window amazed at the beauty of the mountains and the contrast of the abject poverty butting up to the road’s edge. Along the side of the road were two little boys, probably about five and three years old, sitting on a big rock used to keep vehicles from driving off the road and rolling down the side of the mountain. As we drove by, I made eye contact with them. I don’t know why, but I continued to stare as we got farther and farther apart. As the van drove on, I raised my arm and waved at them. When they waved back it brought a huge smile to my face, and as my smile grew bigger, the two boys smiled back and waved even harder. Even though I had no idea who these two boys were, couldn’t say anything to them, and will never see them again, we connected, not through speech, but by a simple smile and a wave. It makes for a nice feel good story, but more importantly, it made three people’s day better.

Lesson Two: You may never know what your actions mean to the people around you.
I have to preface this by asking you to imagine what it looks like in a high school ag class or a science lab when you are conducting an experiment. This will make sense at the end. To start, I was working with a group of students at the university testing soil from their garden plots. I had about eight students who were working with me. I began by going through the soil test, explaining each part as I was testing it. When I was finished demonstrating and explaining to the students, then it was their turn. Now, to the moral of the story and why I asked what I did at the beginning. Unlike almost all of the classrooms in the U.S., this class was full of students who were completely quiet, taking notes on everything being said, and engaged and attentive the entire time. This taught me that the students and the people in Haiti are so hungry for knowledge and ideas that can help them. They are so grateful and appreciative for what we are doing to help them, they don’t want to miss any of it.

Lesson Three: Actually do something that matters. 

Far too often we work on projects or go on church or university sponsored trips, and by the time we are done we walk away saying to ourselves, “I came in thinking they needed me, but walked away thinking I was really the one needing them.” I am not saying this is a bad thing, but I want to encourage you to do something that has residual, something that will leave a lasting impact. Don’t go into a situation thinking you have all the answers or you know best. What I learned was, often times, you get the best results when you talk to the people living in the situation on a daily basis, listen to what they need, and work to solve the problems with shared understanding. Be open to what they have to say and willing to selflessly go and make meaningful change that will last longer than the time you are there.

Cole Moody

2016-2017

Northeast State Vice President

Originally Published- 1/26/2017

9 Things to do at the 2019 Iowa State Leadership Conference

The state officer team recently sat down and had a conversation about each of our favorite things to do at State Leadership Conference and this was what we said. 

CD- My favorite spot at the great Iowa FFA Leadership Conference is the career show. I enjoy walking through all of the booths in Sheman and visit with the industry people. It was always the highlight of my convention not to mention getting free stuff from all the booths. My favorite booth was always Kirkwood, they always are very friendly and more than willing to explain all the programs that they have to offer and I can say visiting with the colleges helped me make my decision to go to Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. Another favorite has to always be the Hormel booth were you take a quiz on your knowledge of different meat products and what part of the animal they come from. I look forward to going to the career show this year and visiting with everyone there.

Lexi- Who doesn’t love getting new FFA gear?! Every year that I attended State Convention, I always stocked up on t-shirts, sweatshirts, and the occasional pair of suspenders for the year. The Iowa FFA Alumni will once again be having their Supply Service next to the career show this year. You can grab the conference themed t-shirt and any other new gear that you will need for the upcoming year! This has always been one of my personal favorites about convention. I can’t wait to see y'all there!

Jake- Hands down my favorite part of state convention is the BBQ and dance on Monday night! These are both excellent ways to meet members from all over the state and run into the state officer team! At the BBQ you will enjoy some great food from various Iowa State University Clubs and while here you can see some of what Iowa State has to offer. Later on Monday night, you can attend the fun night and dance! A night full of swing and line dancing is also a great way to meet people! If dancing isn’t your thing, no need to worry, BINGO is also going on during this time. The BBQ is held at the Hansen Center and fun night is at the Memorial Union on Iowa State’s Campus. See you all there!

Cole- Being the energetic person I am, seeing old friends is my favorite part of convention. Whether you met them through state fair ushering or at your sub-district convention, you are sure to see some familiar faces at state convention. I absolutely love to reinforce positive relationships with my fellow members through exploring the wonders of convention. So while you’re out exploring all of the parts of convention that my teammates love, bring your friends along for the ride! Create some new memories!

Jodie- If you love ice cream, Clone Cones are for sure one of the BEST parts of convention! Whether you are a cyclone fan or a Hawkeye fan, I think we can all agree that the Cyclones have the best ice cream! When you are sitting in sessions, walking around with your new FFA friends, or going to the career fair, you can take your Clone Cone to go! They are also perfect to share! One can grab the spoon and eat from the bowl, and then the other can eat the cone! You can also grab some cookies to finish off the ice cream! I can’t wait to see you at the 91st convention! Don’t forget to grab your Clone Cone!

Gwen- My favorite part about convention is definitely the workshops. So many awesome people donate their time to provide awesome information for FFA members. I have learned anything from how to become a better communicator, FFA Trivia, and how to better advocate for the agriculture industry. This year there dozens of fantastic workshops being provided that I’m jealous I can’t attend. FFA members will get to hear from our National FFA President, Luke O’Leary, learn about leadership and kindness form dozens of visiting State Officers, and hear from industry experts. The workshop I am most excited for is the Women in Agriculture Panel. You will get the opportunity to hear from some of the most influential women in the Iowa Agriculture industry, and ask them questions In attendance will be Julie Kenny, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Billie Hunt, Executive Director of Cultivation Corridor, Kelsey Tyrrell, of the World Food Prize Foundation, and Marji Guyler- Alainz, Founder of Farmher.

Lane- My favorite part about convention has to be all of the fun sessions throughout the two days! Seeing all of the young members that competed in CDE’s getting recognized on stage for their talents makes me happy to be involved in Iowa FFA. From state officer retiring addresses to FFA talent competitors, the energy-filled general sessions are where it’s at. Not to mention all of the pyrotechnics such as the fire and laser light shows for all of the great entertainment throughout the sessions!

Laken- My favorite part of State Convention is the Talent Show. It’s so awesome to see everything Iowa FFA members has to offer, whether it be singing, dancing, or a funny act. I’ve always loved seeing the unique things that are brought to the table. I also enjoy getting to see the winners one more time during the sessions to be reminded of the great winners from the contests! They provide a nice break from all the awards and are always great to watch!

Chandler- Convention is always a blast! Getting a chance to leave school for a few days, take over Ames, and see so many amazing people is the best! I love the sessions! Being able to see the hard work that members from all over the state have put in and have them be recognized is spectacular. The session give someone from the Southeast corner of the state a chance to connect with someone from the Northwest corner. It makes the “Sea of Blue” a united front, which is an incredible feeling.

In Blue and Gold, 

2018-2019 

Iowa FFA State Officer Team