Ivy Elwell

One of my favorite musicals of all time is Wicked. You might think Wicked has nothing to do with FFA, but the musical holds one of the most valuable quotes to use in our lives as FFA members. “It’s just life, so keep dancing through.” 

In FFA, sometimes we can feel like our experience is one big choreographed dance. As a freshman, you work towards your greenhand degree, and then on to the chapter degree. By the time you are a senior in high school you should have mastered at least one contest, and be ready to receive your state degree. In reality, sometimes we fall out of step and make the wrong move, but leadership and FFA, is not about having everything perfect. It’s about growing ourselves and figuring out who we are. It is okay if we mess up and fall out of rhythm. Our time in FFA is all about a greater dance for our future. As FFA members our dance can be showing up to the chapter meeting, trying a new contest team, or signing up for an FFA event at the area level. 

During your tough times as an FFA member, remind yourself that your  “FFA dance” does not have to be perfect. We all have times when we struggle. Throughout this year, I hope you take the time to “dance through” your FFA experience, and make the most of your time in the blue jacket. Your time in FFA will be more fun if you remember, “it’s just life, so keep dancing through.” 

“Be okay with being uncomfortable.” I have thought about this advice a lot during my time in FFA. However, it has taken me a while to fully understand what it means. This summer, I had the opportunity to spend two weeks at FFA Camp. Before heading to Camp, I was dreading my two weeks there. I had never been to camp before, so it was a little bit like I was being thrown into the deep end. I did not even get to just be a camper and knew I would be pushed to be a leader. Camp was filled with many new opportunities and interactions with new people that took me out of my comfort zone. As my time at Camp Rising Sun ended, I was wishing I could sign up for more time. Sometimes, it is okay and even important to be uncomfortable in order to grow.

For most of my time in FFA, I stayed stuck in doing the things I enjoy and have not always been the best at trying new things. I did speech contest after speech contest, but pretty much never signed up to be on a CDE team. Speech contests were like a crutch for me, as I had done so many that I knew what to expect, and I have to admit, contest teams were a little bit intimidating. Still, when my advisor asked me to fill in on the poultry team for the Central District Contest, I said, “yes.”  It ended up being one of the best experiences of my FFA career. So, take the time to try something new in FFA and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Sometimes a little discomfort brings the most growth and makes for the best memories.