Emma Robinson, Vice President

VP 2024-2025

My SAE is in Agricultural Sales and Swine Production – Entrepreneurship. I am the owner of the Sac River Meat Market where I specialize in the retail sale of premium pork products.

I wanted to be a Missouri FFA State Officer because I knew that I had a passion for agriculture and leadership and the desire to help others learn to embrace their uniqueness.

Growing up, sports were a huge part of my family’s lives in addition to my own. While during the early years of high school I had dreams of playing softball in college, that began to change when I enrolled in agriculture classes and found a new passion. I knew that I was part of a family of athletes. However, I began to see that I could embrace the things that I truly loved like agriculture and FFA despite not coming from a “farming family”. Though it was difficult to begin a new journey, I am now able to see how much I have grown by taking a risk and pursuing my desires.

I wanted to be a Missouri FFA State Officer to show members that our personal success is not rooted in tradition, but in our passions.

Joy. The legacy I want to leave with Missouri FFA members during my year of service is that of a joyful spirit.

One of my first memories in FFA came unexpectedly from a girl who was able to find happiness in everything. Natalie, a senior on the Republic FFA Chapter officer team when I was a freshman, could always be seen with a smile on her face. Whether she was in the leadership class helping plan events or dancing in a cow costume at Greenhand Conference to get members excited, her positive attitude was infectious. Though I was only able to talk to her a few times, her love for life radiated from her and helped inspire me to be joyful in all circumstances.

In the future, I plan to play a part in building the next generation of leaders as an agricultural educator. Next year, I will be attending Crowder College in Neosho to obtain an associate’s degree in agriculture. I then plan to transfer to Missouri State University to obtain a bachelor’s in agricultural education and a master’s degree in agriculture. In addition to education, I plan to continue operating my business, the Sac River Meat Market.

Though I haven’t always had this outlook, I now realize that life is short and my bucket list is long. From trying escargot in Paris to learning how to ski in Colorado, those are only a couple of the things that I have been able to cross off of my list in the past few years. However, there is still a lifetime ahead. (Next on my list: Skydiving!)

Go on the trip, volunteer at the event, send in the application, be a part of the team, and look for joy in the midst of chaos!

Being part of something greater than myself, like getting involved in chapter activities and volunteering, helped me to develop leadership skills that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Taking risks, such as applying for academies and interviewing for officer positions, helped me to get out of my comfort zone and see just how much impact I could have when I didn’t let fear get in the way.

But above all, even when things go wrong, you can still find joy in the journey.