Driven by a desire to invest in future generations of leaders, the National FFA Foundation is relaunching its Impact FFA: Women Growing Women initiative. In conjunction with sponsor Rabo AgriFinance, the foundation hosted a networking event to spotlight this initiative during the 95th National FFA Convention and Expo. Female attendees – including FFA members, advisors, exhibitors and other special guests – were invited to participate.
The foundation’s annual fund manager Kimberly Coveney says the event’s purpose was twofold. In addition to strengthening members’ conversational abilities, it invited industry professionals to help members find success both within and beyond FFA by sharing their time, resources and expertise.
“The amount of leadership roles currently held by women within agriculture is fairly small,” says Molly Ball, president of the National FFA Foundation. “I think it’s important for members to know that others throughout the country will be their cheerleaders and help them rise to the top of their fields.”
Ball served as the event’s moderator, which featured a panelist from Rabo AgriFinance, former National FFA Eastern Region Vice President Miriam Hoffman and the 2020 American Star in Agriscience Nicole Stevens. These individuals all emphasized the importance of seeking out strong mentors, seizing opportunities for personal growth and supporting others within the industry.
Hoffman mentioned several people throughout her lifetime who she says, “believed in me enough to do something about it.” In highlighting her own FFA experiences, Stevens added, “So many young agriculturists are entering the workforce today, and they look to each of you for inspiration and hope.”
For Ferris FFA Chapter members Guadaloupe Perez, Sarah Wiechman and Hannah Caintu from Ferris, Texas, attending an event like this provided invaluable connections and inspiration for future careers.
“I feel like we don’t talk about women within agriculture as often as we could,” says Perez. “Although we may know what they do, we don’t always get to hear their stories and how they got to where they’re at. This event helped us to do so.”
“After hearing from so many people, it is reassuring to know this much support exists and I can have a future in the industry if I really want one,” says Wiechman.
The Impact FFA: Women Empowering Women initiative includes a fundraising component, which will provide support for female members.
