FFA Corner

Leadership and impact occurs in the small moments. And present happiness is not the way you should evaluate your current day, week or month.

The countdown to the 97th Illinois State FFA Convention continues, along with practices to perfect every skit, speech and stage cue.

I’ve sat in my fair share of coffee shops, airplane terminals, restaurants, FFA chapters and convention halls this year, and it has continued to remind me that we find joy in the people around us.

Two weeks ago, I was playing basketball and trying to dunk on a slightly wet court when I fell and hurt my wrist.

March went in — and out — like a lion. Several state contests take place in spring, such as the recent dairy cattle and food science career development events, with many more on the calendar.

It’s now March of my National FFA president year, and I have a lot to catch you up on. There’s been a whole lot of delayed flights, late nights, a few times where it’s gone wrong and a few times where it’s gone right.

Between the chartering of new FFA chapters, celebrations of FFA Week, announcements of District Golden Owl Award recipients, convention preparation and chapter banquets, February brought many blessings.

Though FFA Week may last a mere seven days, the state officers find it important to sport an attitude of pride and excitement for the FFA every day.

It’s hard to believe I’ve been serving as the National FFA president for close to three months. On one hand, it feels like just a day since I heard my name called and put on the blank jacket for the first time.

Flipping the calendar year to 2025 led to the transition of our team goals to include planning for Illinois FFA State Convention.

Just as seasons dictate the duties of the agricultural industry, the seasons similarly determine Illinois FFA’s itinerary.

In just four weeks, the Illinois FFA major state officers have already traveled 12,894 miles, met 4,632 students, visited 211 schools, experienced countless interactions and held mutually influential conversations.

Following a successful year at the Illinois State Fair with more than 70,000 people passing through the FFA Barnyard, the major state officers kept in “fair mode” as they traveled to the Du Quoin State Fair.

Confetti, traveling and fair food, oh my. Many people joke that my teammates and I are now “owned” by Illinois FFA.

With under a month left of the 2023-2024 Illinois FFA major state officers’ term, the team isn’t wasting any opportunities to make some memories before they retire their blue jackets.

The month of March is a unique one for the five Illinois FFA major state officers. In March, preparation for the FFA state convention is in full swing.

State FFA President Thaddeus Bergschnider, Vice President Eric Wisley, Reporter Cooper Nelson, Secretary Riley Kessler and Treasurer Benjamin Bremmer are nine months through their year as state officers.

The month of January saw Illinois FFA’s major state officers get right back into the swing of things. January kicked off with the officers spending a week at the Illinois FFA Center in Springfield.

The Illinois FFA major state officers and hundreds of Illinois Farm Bureau members from across the state met at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago on Dec. 1 to celebrate the state’s agricultural accomplishments over the past year.

The month of November is a very diverse one for Illinois FFA’s major state officers. The month started with the National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis. Illinois FFA was represented very well with 21 national finalists.

After meeting over 5,500 students and traveling over 14,500 miles, the Illinois FFA major state officers have completed four of their six weeks of chapter visits.

September was yet another busy month for this year’s Illinois Association FFA major state officers. The month started off with the S.T.A.R. — Section Teams Activities and Responsibilities — conferences.

The month of August was very busy for this year’s Illinois Association FFA major state officers. The month kicked off with training from Andrew McCrea, a former national officer.

The road to Illinois FFA Major State Office is not a smooth path and the officers learn quickly that their term is very busy; however, it is among the most fulfilling journeys on which a teenager can embark.

The beginning of June started in the Northeast. I spent a week visiting schools in New Hampshire and Massachusetts and learning about their agriculture programs.

As the 95th Illinois FFA State Convention draws near, the Illinois FFA state officer team has been busy putting the finishing touches on the annual extravaganza.

If you asked the five Illinois FFA state officers where they would be on any given night during February and March, each answer would be different each time.

The Illinois FFA state officer year is already nearly two-thirds complete, but Rachel Hood, Derek Sample, Levi Maierhofer, Haley Bode and Kate Colgan are not slowing down their service yet.

January started off with loads of training. We started with facilitation and workshop development, where we created activities we want to do with students this year and the messages we want to share through those activities.

For three days in mid-December, the Illinois FFA Major State Officer Team embarked on a retreat to spend time focusing on the beginning of planning the 95th Illinois FFA State Convention.

December was full of learning, celebrating, ups, downs and a lot of growth. Throughout this last month, my team and I spent time exploring our new home of Indianapolis and dove deep into foundational training of National FFA office.

For over 150 years, Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel has hosted numerous extravagant guests and events, including the Illinois Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, held Dec. 2-6.

National FFA officers are given the responsibility to represent the over 850,000 members of the National FFA Organization by being advocates for agriculture, agricultural education and FFA.

At the 95th National FFA Convention and Expo, held Oct. 26-29 in Indianapolis, nearly 70,000 students, advisers and guests from across the United States congregated in and around Lucas Oil Stadium to celebrate the successes of FFA members.

The road to Illinois FFA major state office is not a smooth path and the lucky few who are named state officers learn quickly that their term is not easy, either. However, it is among the most fulfilling journeys on which a teenager can embark.

The 2021-2022 Illinois FFA State Officer Team’s year is coming to a close. We are in the heat of convention planning and we are super-excited to see the streets of downtown Springfield filled with blue corduroy jackets.

Illinois State Capitol visits, attending the Tennessee FFA State Convention and State Career and Leadership Development Events competitions filled our March calendar.

Spring can be a busy time for the Illinois FFA Major State Officers and FFA chapters across the state. Chapters are preparing their members to compete in spring contests and celebrating members’ accomplishments at their own FFA banquets.

It finally arrived — National FFA Week. From Feb. 19-26, FFA chapters and members are celebrating the organization that has helped exhibit premier leadership, personal growth and career success.

In the FFA world, January is record book time. Students are polishing their record books for their Supervised Agricultural Experience for proficiency awards, state degrees and American degrees.

What was the first big gathering you attended this summer? Did it feel the same as events prior to March 2020, or was there something different?

The sun glared into my eyes as I felt the heat of the stage soak up through the soles of my shoes. Microphone in hand, blue corduroy jacket zipped up, I walked out onto the grandstand stage at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, swept my eyes across the crowd seated across the dirt track and waved.

From trying green chili custard to watching sunrises over desert mountains, the week I spent in Las Cruces, New Mexico, was full of new experiences. I’d never been up close and personal with a pecan tree nor was I used to seeing cacti as a regular plant dotting the landscape.

In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” The major state officer team and the 25 section presidents found themselves this year serving Illinois FFA in the most unusual and innovative ways.

Running for a state FFA office is one of the most exciting and most terrifying moments for an FFA member. It’s comparable to an intense interview for a dream job or even attempting to close a sale with a substantial account.

I’m a dedicated agriculture nerd. Ask any of my friends and one of the first things they’ll tell you about me is that I won’t shut up about cows or cover crops and I spend much of my free time listening to podcasts about ag tech. It’s pretty accurate. I’m not ashamed.

Have you felt like the pandemic has taken more than a thing or two from you? One of the most acute impacts is likely found just by looking at your calendar.