The timeless paragraphs of the National FFA Creed have been memorized by hundreds of thousands of FFA members. Written by Earl Milton Tiffany and adopted by the organization in 1930, the impact of the Creed has spanned across centuries — and even across languages.
After Puerto Rico became a state FFA association in 1932, the need for a Spanish FFA Creed became apparent. Now, FFA membership includes more than 100,000 Hispanic/Latino members, representing approximately 15% of members. Many state associations implemented a Spanish Creed speaking contest years ago; however, there hasn’t been a national contest in previous years.
“The Creed…is one of those foundational pieces that you learn really early on when you’re in FFA,” says Jenny Bautista Ramirez, invitational superintendent and committee chair. “But being able to actually express and understand it in a language they prefer…that’s something that you can’t take away.”
Noticing a gap between membership demographics and competitive opportunities, Marc Beitia from Idaho and Charles Parker from California began to dream about possibilities. As their conversations progressed, a national-level Spanish Creed Speaking Invitational came to fruition. This year, 32 members from 16 states competed in the first invitational event held during the 96th National FFA Convention and Expo.
“That’s why we’re offering it — because there’s students here that speak Spanish in their homes, and that’s the language that they feel most comfortable in,” Bautista Ramirez adds.
Article edited by newsroom reporter Adrian Schunk.
