Hannah Rice

I was blessed to be in the National FFA Band in 2021. This was one of my favorite experiences from high school. I came home excited about both band and FFA, and all my friends in both organizations got to hear me ramble about this awesome opportunity. I have a sweet freshman friend named Arely who expressed interest in applying for the National FFA Band last spring. A few months later, I was ecstatic to hear that she had been accepted.

Arely loved everything about the National FFA Band. She went on and on about her new friends, the thrill of performing, and the wonders of convention. I remembered the feeling, and I was inexpressibly happy that we got to share this experience. When she returned home, she was met with a whirlwind of homework, all-district band auditions, and FFA Area IV Fall Speaking. A couple of days after convention, Arely collapsed into tears outside the ag shop. It was apparent to me that she was exhausted, stressed, and overwhelmed. For a freshman, she had so much on her plate. If I had been in her position, I would have felt the same way. I could see that she was being way too hard on herself, but I realized that I would have looked at this situation in the same light.

We are our own biggest critics. Even though Arely had just accomplished something wonderful by being in the National FFA Band, she was dissatisfied because she was struggling to keep up with other demands. Sometimes we need to be kind to ourselves and give ourselves grace. Our worth is unconditional, not measured by our accomplishments. I live by the Bible verse Matthew 11:28-30, which says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest in your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” This verse reminds me that I can find rest in God’s presence rather than worrying about my life. Arely is an absolute rockstar and as I consoled her on that warm November morning, I learned the importance of being gentle with myself, too.

Every Thanksgiving, my family and friends gather for a delicious meal of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce and pie. We celebrate fellowship and thank God for the many blessings that He has given us. However, before we dig into the mouth-watering food, we have a meaningful, long-standing tradition. We pass around a dish of corn kernels and each chooses five. It has been said that food was once so scarce for the Pilgrims that each person was rationed to five kernels of corn a day for an entire winter. Before tasting the first forkful of casserole, my family and I go around the table and each list five things we are thankful for. This year, one thing that will be at the top of my list is agriculture. I am thankful for the simplicity of my childhood spent on the farm. I am thankful for the wonderful people involved in each step of the journey from farm to fork. And finally, I am thankful to live in a time and place where our food system is secure, and I go to bed with a full stomach. Here are some more blessings I am afforded thanks to American agriculture: 

A sense of belonging

Great opportunities

Respect from peers and adults

Insight from professionals

Creative outlets

Unconditional friendship

Learning by doing

Training that will equip me for the future

Unity

Reasons to work hard

Endless love and support

This holiday season, we should take time to ponder our many blessings. While life is far from perfect, many of us have eaten more than five kernels of corn today. That is all thanks to the farmers, ranchers, agribusiness professionals, educators and agri scientists who have devoted their lives to filling our plates. 

“The sooner you be you, the sooner the people looking for you will find you.” 

I stumbled across this quote by an unknown author while scrolling through Pinterest. I sure wish I had realized this sooner! 

I have always felt like a bit of an oddball. Starting in about 4th grade, I began to develop hobbies and interests that my friends found super weird. My brother and I watched the Kansas City Royals every night. I had never cared much for sports, but I loved hanging out with my brother and my dad and learning about baseball. Pretty soon, I memorized all the players by name and number. Then I started keeping track of batting averages, RBIs, and home runs. I was ecstatic when my family got to watch a Royals game in person once or twice a year. A few of my friends liked the Royals, but I was a little disappointed that no one at school followed them quite as closely as my brother and I did. 

In 5th grade, I really liked Star Wars. I watched the entire series several times. I read books about Star Wars, built the Millennium Falcon out of Legos, learned about George Lucas and the actors, and even dressed up as Padme Amidala for Halloween. Circa 7th grade, I got into a few really good book series. I could ramble for hours about Percy Jackson, Divergent, Harry Potter, or The Chronicles of Narnia. In 9th grade, I loved Broadway musicals like Newsies, Les Miserables, and Hamilton. To this day, I will completely nerd out over Marvel, Taylor Swift, Wordle, marching band, or whatever book I’m reading at the moment. 

Are you starting to notice a trend? 

Now that I’ve completely exposed myself about these super nerdy obsessions I’ve had, let me explain why these random interests have been a formative part of my life. 

At my small high school, there are only 14 students in my entire class! In such a small pool of people, I have often felt isolated in the things I love. This has caused me to suppress my enthusiasm and curate my personality to fit in with other kids my age. However, as I grew up and met people through FFA, I became more comfortable with the things that make me unique. I realized that even silly things like Star Wars and Hamilton can help me build connections with people who think like me. Although I was teased for being a “book nerd” in middle school, I now see how being an avid reader has developed my imagination and helped me in my written communication skills. All of my quirks make me special and human. I want to encourage you to be 100% yourself. Explore things that truly interest you and don’t be afraid to share your enthusiasm! Be excited about the things you love, because it will lead you to amazing friendships, exciting opportunities, and a strong sense of self.