As a student at Florien High School in Florien, La., Dekota McGee dreamed about pursuing a career in healthcare but that didn’t stop her from joining the Florien FFA Chapter.
“I went to a small high school and wanted to be involved in a lot of different clubs and activities,” she says. “When I joined our FFA chapter, I found my place and met some of my best friends.”
McGee was the FFA chapter president and a member of the 2019 Louisiana state officer team, which provided her opportunities to travel to the National FFA Convention, participate on the floriculture team and earn state proficiency awards in ag sales and diversified horticulture.
Upon learning that McGee didn’t come from a farming family and had no plans to study agriculture in college, fellow FFA members questioned why she’d joined the organization.
“Agriculture impacts every part of our lives, from the food we eat to the clothes we wear, and even when other industries decline or disappear, we will always have farming,” she says. “Advocating for farmers is a big deal, especially in a small town. Without our support, farmers could relocate and towns like mine could be wiped off the map.”
McGee, now a sophomore majoring in healthcare administration at the University of Louisiana, Lafayettte, remains engaged with the Florien FFA Chapter. She talks to her former FFA advisor about chapter activities, and answers questions and offers advice to a chapter member who just joined the state officer team.
“It’s important to be an advocate for agriculture,” she says. “Even if you don’t go into the field, you can still educate others about the importance of agriculture and you may even inspire someone else to join FFA or go into the field.”
Looking to the future, McGee hopes to incorporate her passion for food and farming into her career in healthcare administration; she also plans to become an FFA Alumni and Supporters member and continue to support FFA members coming up behind her—even if they have no plans to pursue careers in agriculture.
“I got so much out of my time in FFA and I want to give back,” she says. “I’m not going into the ag field but the leadership and communication skills I got through FFA and the contacts and friends I made will help me continue advocating for agriculture.”
Do you want to advocate for agriculture, but need a little kick-start? FFA has you covered with agricultural literacy and advocacy tools and tips.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Check out the conversation with Bob Funk of Express Services, Kaci Huelsmann with Bayer, #speakag Ambassador Grace Long and National FFA Officer Mamie Hertel. Funk and Huelsmann answered questions about how to find internships and pick colleges and companies that match you.
Forever Blue Network
In May, National FFA launched the networking platform the Forever Blue Network, which provides high school senior FFA members, alumni and supporters exclusive access to events, groups, mentors, and job opportunities. The Forever Blue Network is now also available as an app on iOS and Android devices. From the Apple Store, download the Graduway Community app and type “National FFA Organization” as your institution. From the Google Play Store, download the Forever Blue Network app.
Educational Enrichment Program
Looking for online learning opportunities for adult learners, transfer students or upcoming freshmen? Check out the FFA Educational Enrichment Program at www.Pearson.com/FFA. FFA members (students and alumni) can utilize a $300 value college planning session for free and have access to discounted online courses transferrable to over 1,000 colleges and universities.
Student Career and College Exploration
- AgExplorer allows students to explore more than 250 unique careers in agriculture. Students can take a career finder assessment, search through career profiles and watch videos to learn about agriculture careers. Check out activities, worksheets and lessons offered on the educator resources webpage.
- Trade School or College: Which is the Best Path for You? Visit here to see the FFA New Horizons article and accompanying worksheet.
College and Career Teacher Resources
- Career Exploration Folder – This folder contains a variety of resources to incorporate career exploration into the classroom.
- Career Preparation Folder – Here are resources to prepare you for a future career including resumes, employability skills and others.
- AgCareers.com infographics
Awards and Recognition
- Career exploration competitive events
- Agriscience Fair activities
- National Chapter activities
- Grants and Scholarships
- Proficiencies
Living to Serve
National FFA embraces the idea of building stronger communities. The last line of the FFA motto, “Living to Serve,” signifies the vital role service plays in our organization. The Living to Serve platform empowers every student in every classroom to make a positive impact in their community. FFA provides quality programs, resources, recognition, and opportunities for our members to put their leadership into action through service engagement.
