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

Don't Blink

Have you ever listened to the song “Don’t Blink” by Kenny Chesney? It was always one of those songs that would come on the radio and I would start singing along with it. However, have you ever thought about the lyrics. I never took the time to until I became a senior in high school.

“Life goes faster than you think, don’t blink”, is the ending of the refrain.  Senior year was a blur. I had experienced being a cheerleader for my two favorite sports, basketball and football, with a great squad for the last time; helping with my high school play for the last time; my last golf tournament, prom, banquet with my FFA chapter, and showing my horse at county fair all this year. The hardest one for me to leave was the Two County Dusters Equestrian Drill Team. I have been part of this drill team for four years, which to be honest isn’t very long, but it was something I loved with all my heart. The last performance we have is the Sidney Iowa Rodeo, which is in the beginning of August. The rodeo is always my favorite part of the summer and riding in the Dusters just made it even sweeter. The Two County Dusters is a group of riders from 4^th- 12^th grades preforming patterns to patriotic music. These patterns didn’t only move the fans watching, but also me. The riders in the Dusters weren’t only some of my greatest friends, but they became a second family. Every year new members would come in and us as the older members would have to teach them how to do the pattern. For me it was never a burden, because it always amazing to watch them develop into great riders just like Dusters had done for me. The last night of the Sidney Rodeo was hardest. That night we had received t-shirts that said all five of the senior’s names and horses, that way we could always support the Dusters. It was also the last night that I got lead the Dusters in the pattern with my best friend, Kaitlyn. During the performance I started to cry. I started to cry because not only was this my last time to ride with the Dusters, but mainly I was so thankful for the experience I had. The Two County Dusters changed me in several ways. It taught me how to become a better rider, a better leader, and overall a better person.

High school offers so many opportunities like this one and sometimes it’s hard to see that. It was hard to see that everything I did helped my grow as a person. Seniors and Juniors, I know you’re ready to graduate, but remember to sit back and take it all in. These are truly once in a lifetime experiences and once they’re gone, they’re gone. Be thankful for the chances you have and the lessons you learn, because they fly by. I would like to thank my Duster family for all of the love and support and I wished that I would have known the lesson that I know now. The lesson of that “life goes faster than you think, so don’t blink”.

Annie Wallin

State Reporter