Waitlisted. My voice broke as I uddered this word to my mom and grandma as we stood in the bathroom where I was reading my long awaited acceptance letter. I, Felicity Cantrell was now waitlisted from my dream college. I had fallen just short of something I had worked so hard to achieve. I lost. 

The news not only broke my heart because it was my dream, but it also hit home because I don’t like to lose. 

I have always been extremely competitive and was typically successful when it came to achieving my goals. Whether it was getting varsity cheer captain or being elected to serve in various positions throughout my career in FFA, I usually met my goal. 

There were obviously times when I wasn’t successful, but I always used that as fuel to motivate me to try harder the next time. This was different though; interviews were completed and the decision was final. I was not selected, and I was going to have to move on. The next couple of weeks were so hard; my confidence was shot. I referred to myself as a loser, and I was stuck in an awful rut. Then my ag teacher reminded me of a dream I had led myself to believe was unobtainable, being a Missouri State FFA Officer. 

I had always dreamed of being a state officer; motivating students is my passion. However, I let my loss make me feel like I couldn’t. This one set back that was totally unrelated made me feel as if I wasn’t good enough. 

FFA members, we all have setbacks, and that’s okay. We aren’t always going to be the winner and that is the simple truth we must accept. We will all fall from time to time, but we have to get back up and keep trying. It is in this process we find growth in ourselves. 

Our losses are what make our wins so special. If we don’t ever lose, we won’t know how truly special it is to win.