FFA prepares members for many different careers, both inside and outside of agriculture. These six past National FFA Officers represent what it means to serve in their chosen professions. Find inspiration for your future as you explore how their FFA experiences played a foundational role in shaping their careers.
After serving as the 2019-20 eastern region vice president, Tess Seibel graduated from James Madison University. The former Virginia FFA state president is currently a registered nurse at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Children’s Hospital in Chapel Hill, N.C. Although her career path isn’t directly connected to agriculture, she says FFA prepared her to advocate for patients.
“After our time in FFA, we can still be impactful,” Seibel says. “As long as we’re doing something we’re passionate about, we’ll be making a difference — even if it’s different from what others might be doing.”
In 2016, David Townsend (above, far left) became Delaware’s first FFA member to be elected as National FFA President. Townsend attended the University of Delaware and now serves as the director of member programs at The Fertilizer Institute, based in Washington, D.C. He says FFA members have so many career opportunities to consider, and factors such as location and job format can help with decisions about what to do after high school.
“Your career path isn’t going to be one straight line,” he adds. “It’s going to have all types of twists and turns, and there’s not one path you have to take.”
Caleb Gustin represented his home state of New Mexico during his year as the 2014-15 national western vice president. He then completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering at New Mexico State University, and is currently a senior systems engineer at RTX. Gustin attributes his career successes to the people in FFA who helped him along the way.
His advice for FFA members considering what their futures could hold is simple: “Take root and understand what inspires you,” he says. “Those actions will lead toward mirroring that in a career.”
Former Arkansas FFA state president and 2015-16 National FFA president Taylor (McNeel) Wiseman is a professional staff member for Chairman Bruce Westerman in the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources. Throughout her journey to this role, which included attending Southern Arkansas University and the University of Arkansas, Wiseman has carried the importance of mentorship with her.
“Not only does FFA give you the technical knowledge about what agriculture looks like as an industry, but also it gives you people to connect with throughout your career,” she says.
David Lopez-Larios, the 2020-21 western region vice president from California (above, back row, right of center) is a research fellow for the California State University Agricultural Research Institute. He says that FFA has equipped him with a sense of curiosity, which he continues to use in his professional life.
“It helps with trying to understand systems and how they can either be improved or left as is,” Lopez-Larios adds.
Before accepting her current role as a development advisor for HOPE International, Adrian Schunk (above left) served as the Michigan FFA state president and the 2018-19 eastern region vice president Schunk credits an internship to helping her find what she’s passionate about, and she encourages FFA members to seek out opportunities that allow them to experience different careers for short periods of time.
“Getting real world experience — whether it’s what you think you want to do or not — is useful,” she says. “Learning what you don’t want to do is just as important as learning what you want to do.”
Becoming a National FFA Officer is an experience of a lifetime. These talented and passionate individuals represent our organization at the highest level and help it continue to propel forward.
Learn more about this year’s team and what it takes to become a national officer at FFA.org/National-FFA-Officers/.
