When a 2-year-old boy went missing near Salina, Okla., in May, several members of the community sprang into action, including Adair FFA member Seth Best.
Seth and his father, Shane Best, joined the search on horseback. After about 30 minutes, Seth heard something in the distance. He followed the sound – and found the child, Jesse Dale Young, who had been missing for about 26 hours.
“I couldn’t believe I found him so quickly,” says Seth, a 16-year-old junior at Adair High School. “As soon as I saw him, I called 911, then I wrapped him in a shirt and put him on my horse. I carried him to a house nearby, and it wasn’t long before he was reunited with his family. It’s pretty crazy how it all happened – definitely something I won’t forget anytime soon.”
Seth’s willingness to serve his community is nothing new, according to Adair FFA advisor Devin DeLozier, who says Seth has a “huge heart” and is constantly helping others. For example, DeLozier remembers a snowy morning last February in which Seth came to school looking tired, and it wasn’t because he’d stayed up late for fun. Instead, Seth had gotten out of bed at 3 a.m. to help clear snow from parking lots in the nearby community of Pryor.
Along with embodying the last line of the FFA motto, “Living to Serve,” Seth stays active in his chapter by showing horses and serving on judging teams for career development events (CDEs). In addition, Seth has completed supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs) in both beef and equine production, and in 2019, he was a named a State Equine Entrepreneurship Proficiency Award finalist at the Oklahoma State FFA Convention.
Given Seth’s commitment to his community and passion for service, it’s likely his recent rescue effort won’t be the last time he’ll find himself in the limelight for taking positive action and improving the lives of those he encounters.
“Seth is always smiling and is respectful of his elders,” DeLozier says. “He is well thought of among ranchers in our area as he performs all types of ranch work, both at his home and for other local beef cattle producers. He has a very strong work ethic, and he is always busy – many times that’s because he’s helping out in the community. Throughout my 24 years of teaching, I have had many exceptional students, and Seth is one of those exceptional FFA members.”
