FFA and Beyond

We all have at least one thing in our lives that we absolutely love and spend a tremendous amount time of doing. During my time at Southeast Polk High School, the thing that I absolutely loved and spent a tremendous amount of time doing was FFA. During my time in the blue jacket I did everything that I could including various career and leadership development events, showing livestock, serving as a chapter officer, attending State Leadership Conference, National FFA Convention and Expo, and leadership workshops. This sparked my passion for agriculture and the FFA. By the time I reached my senior year, I could not imagine my life without the FFA and wondered what I could do to continue my involvement in the organization I loved so much.

It was the fall of 2014 and I was just starting my first semester as a Cyclone. When people say the first two weeks of college are the biggest lies of your college experience they are absolutely right. I had started my classes but the actual work hadn’t begun. It was during this time I spent an evening at the Freshman Transfer BBQ hosted by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Council. While there, I visited with representatives from some of the many ag focused clubs on campus. Out of all the clubs at the BBQ the one that I found most appealing was the AgEd/Collegiate FFA club. Being an Ag. Ed. major along with my love for the FFA, I knew this club would be a perfect fit.

At the first Ag. Ed./Collegiate FFA club meeting I was presented with the opportunity to become involved. It was getting close to the time for the annual Collegiate FFA Greenhand Conference. When the group was asked for volunteers to help, I immediately put my name on the sign up. My role with the conference led me to see the value in the club and I am so thankful that I decided to become involved so early in my college career. Ever since then I have not only been an active member but I have served in leadership positions as well. I went on to serve as a co-chair for the Greenhand Conference the following year and as a chair for the ISU Advocacy Day events for the next two years and the President for this year. This involvement has pushed me out of my comfort zone and has allowed me to grow in many ways.

I hope you have been able to see the overarching theme of my involvement with the Ag. Ed./ Collegiate FFA club at Iowa State University. Your involvement does not have to end once you graduate, but in all reality, closing the book for your time in high school allows you to take full advantage of the opportunities that are ahead of you. If you really have a passion for something, I encourage you to take it to the next level. It doesn’t have to be in the FFA, although I would encourage you to stay involved, but I can be anything you are interested in. What really matters, is that you use your interests to guide you as you become more and more involved and then you take the talents and skills that you possess to better the lives of the people around you. Each and every one of you have the ability to make a difference, you just have to find what you love and go all out in what you do. If you do this, you will transform the lives of the people around you and ignite their passion to grow as individuals. 

Tayler Veldhuizen

Iowa State University Ag. Ed./Collegitate FFA Club President