“When one door closes, a window opens.” It’s a phrase Sarah Firestone’s father says to her often, and one that describes her FFA experiences.
Firestone started riding horses in third grade. It’s a passion she planned to pursue professionally, but a hip injury in eighth grade temporarily sidelined her. As she recovered from surgery, Firestone doubled down on her FFA involvement at Lampeter-Strasburg High School in Pennsylvania.
“I saw a lot of growth opportunities for myself within our program,” says the current Garden Spot FFA Chapter president. “I also wanted to put more time and energy into helping our program grow.”
After deciding to become a chapter officer, Firestone was elected to serve as chaplain. She also began raising dairy cows and showing them at local fairs.
Sarah Firestone shows her dairy cow.
As her medical condition worsened, however, she was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and feared she’d have to sell her animals. But her parents stepped in to care for them, and within three months following surgery, Firestone was back in the barn.
Shortly after, she was elected as the Garden Spot FFA Chapter vice president and prepared to compete in the National FFA Agricultural Sales Career Development Event. During the 96th National FFA Convention & Expo in 2023, she received gold emblem individual and silver emblem team awards in this event.
“All these leadership opportunities and the possibility of competing at different levels excited me the most about FFA,” Firestone says. “That’s where I wanted to really dive in and be as involved as possible.”
In 2024, Firestone shared her public speaking skills with others by competing on the national stage.
In addition to serving as her chapter’s president, Firestone was selected to serve on the Pennsylvania Farm Show Junior Committee. “She works with people older than her, which develops her advocacy, communication and leadership skills further,” says FFA advisor and agriculture teacher Katie Ranck.
No Challenge, No Growth
Firestone returned to the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo in 2024, where she competed in the National FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking Leadership Development Event and received a silver emblem individual award.
“I’m comfortable with public speaking, but applying it in a competition really pushed me,” she says. “But I like to say ‘no growth can happen within a comfort zone.’ Bettering yourself through experiences you’re less comfortable with is important not only as a leader, but as someone who is part of an organization that wants to continue to grow as well.”
The maturity to want what’s best for the group, in addition to bettering herself, is an attribute that stands out to FFA advisor Holly Oberholtzer.
“As a ninth grader, a student like Sarah comes in and thinks ‘What can FFA do for me?’” Oberholtzer says. “She’s grown throughout her FFA career to now ask, ‘What can I do for FFA and its members?’ She looks at what she can do to make our chapter better.”
Firestone (front center) leads her classmates through a livestock judging unit.
Although she’s now 90% recovered from her surgeries, Firestone still thinks about her dad’s words of wisdom often.
“Look for that open window and see the opportunities it offers because there’s an underlying plan and purpose for what you’re going through,” she says. “I’m not sure my FFA journey would have been the same if I hadn’t stopped riding to have surgery and recover.”
