Our last name is something that is so special to us; it is something that has been carried on for generations and generations. Our last name is also the focus of our FFA jackets, bringing pride, respect and honor to our families. When we think about our ancestry, we immediately think back as far as we can remember. Since I’m a genealogy nerd, I can tell you exactly where my fifth great-grandpa was born, when my family migrated from Europe and even a percentage breakdown of my DNA. However, with all these different family trees and last names that makes up who I am and who we are, one thing reigns true — the significance of our last names. The names might have been worn on the uniforms of our grandparents when they fought in a war, or by our parents who are farmers, business owners, doctors, or lawyers, and now by us on our FFA jackets. To you a last name has always been there, it’s just a few letters put together, but to those before you that last name was everything. It’s what defined your family, gave you the opportunities you have today and pushed you to success. It’s also what you bare over your chest in your FFA jacket.

Though we all have different last names, we all have one common thing on our jackets: the FFA emblem. This FFA emblem is like our last name. It is what connects, what bring us together and what signifies our FFAmily. So, do everything in your power to bring honor and pride to your last name and the FFA emblem because those before you did just that.