Maddy Rash

I always thought it would be the big FFA milestones I would miss. The moments you expect to matter the most. But as time passes, it’s the little moments that tug the hardest.

I miss the sarcastic back-and-forth comments Mr. Stokes and I would make toward each other, the ones that broke up long days and made the ag room feel lighter. I miss after-hour contest practice, when everyone was tired but still managed to be goofy while we were at it. I miss spending practically all day in the ag rooms, even when I wasn’t really supposed to, because that space felt more like home than anywhere else.

I even miss the fake interviews and practice speeches – the ones I dreaded every single time. The awkward questions, the forced confidence, the nerves that never quite went away, and all the tears shed. Back then, those things felt so uncomfortable, but my advisors never once gave up on me. Now, I see how they prepared me for some of the biggest moments of my life.

Those small, ordinary moments didn’t feel important all the time, but they were shaping who I was becoming all along.

So if you’re in the middle of it right now – stressed, busy, counting down the days – slow down just a little. Pay attention to the moments between the milestones. One day, those will be the things you miss the most.

When I sat down to write this blog, I wasn’t sure how to start. Honestly, beginnings trip me up sometimes, but once I get going, I’m fine. Maybe you’ve felt the same way before.

Back in high school, I remember looking at state officers like they were celebrities. They seemed perfect: calm, confident and put together. I thought their lives were stress-free and ideal. But when it came time for me to step into these shoes, I quickly realized how wrong I was.

Life has come at me fast. Interviews, Convention, graduation, training, camps and now, college. Each brought challenges I never could have predicted. And let me tell you, college hit me harder than I expected. Suddenly, I was navigating situations I never imagined, and it hasn’t been easy.

But here’s what I’ve learned: being a state officer doesn’t make me any different from you. I’m not above the struggles of everyday life. I get stressed, overwhelmed and lost at times, too. The title doesn’t erase the bumps in the road – it just means I get to walk through them alongside you.

At the end of the day, state officers are students, friends and people trying to figure things out just like you are. We’re not perfect. We face the same challenges, take the same unexpected detours and keep moving forward the same way you do. 

Together, we’re all survivin’ and thrivin’.