With more than 1 million FFA members scattered across the country, there’s a growing need for adults who can mentor and motivate this generation of leaders. If you’re an FFA alum looking to strengthen your involvement, registering as an adult member and joining an FFA Alumni and Supporters chapter are fantastic places to start.
“Many alumni groups have active programs that work adjacent to the classroom and offer mentorship opportunities to strengthen that community tie and inspire a sense of stewardship, fellowship and resilience,” says Rod Stewart, a lifetime member of Washington County Alumni and Supporters in Kansas. “I’ve seen students flourish and grow their passions, explore career paths and invest themselves in opportunities they may otherwise have missed.”
Read on for advice from members of four award-winning FFA Alumni and Supporters chapters, including Stewart, on how to get involved in an alumni chapter and why you should support future generations of FFA members.
1. Make sure an Alumni and Supporters chapter exists in your area.
Stewart was an FFA member for seven years before his career in FFA culminated with earning the American FFA Degree. He then joined the Washington County FFA Alumni and Supporters because he wanted to provide young members with opportunities like the ones he was fortunate to experience.
“We now have many programs in addition to what I participated in during my time as an FFA member,” Stewart says. “If your local FFA chapter doesn’t have an active alumni division, consider starting one.”
2. You can change an FFA member’s life – and you’ll be rewarded, too.
“Getting involved [with an alumni chapter] filled a void I wasn’t aware existed,” says Mandi Collins, a member of Union FFA Alumni and Supporters in Oregon. “It has provided me with the opportunity to grow in a new capacity as an adult leader and role model.”
Courtney Solari of Northview FFA Alumni and Supporters in Florida agrees. “I love being able to give back to an organization that gave so much to me,” she adds. “Getting to know the students personally and knowing you helped them achieve their goals is one of the most rewarding feelings in the world.”
As you help members reach their full potential in our organization, you can grow your leadership skills, too.
3. Remember you don’t have to work in agriculture to mentor FFA members.
“We need people from all walks of life to give our students, programs and teachers a diverse group of individuals to pull resources from,” Collins says. “Your skills will find a place to be utilized in the organization.”
Additionally, you don’t have to be a former FFA member to join an FFA Alumni and Supporters chapter. Just ask Curt Rigg, current president of Bushnell-Prairie City FFA Alumni and Supporters in Illinois.
“When my children joined FFA, the local alumni chapter was a major support group for them and their peers,” Rigg says. “My wife and I saw what a great opportunity it would be to get involved, so we became lifetime members.”
4. Any amount of time you can give – whether minutes or hours – matters.
Life can be busy, and you may not have much free time – we get it. But helping coach a career or leadership development team or volunteering at an FFA chapter event near you can make a monumental difference.
Volunteering to judge an FFA competitive event is one of many ways you can support your local FFA chapter.
“Find what works best for you,” Solari says. “Don’t feel limited by what you can physically show up and do. Within our alumni chapter, many individuals may not be able to attend every event or meeting, but they continuously support students by purchasing through fundraisers, cheering on their accomplishments and being an advocate for agricultural education in our community.”
Leave an Impact
In addition to joining an Alumni and Supporters chapter and helping it grow, explore the Forever Blue Network and the new Impact FFA: Women Growing Women Mentoring Program.
