Andrew “Ranger” Kielak is driven by a passion for agriculture and a commitment to making a difference. Motivated with a desire to serve his community, Kielak embarked on a 3,000-mile journey through 10 states this year. His mission? To spotlight impactful people in the U.S.
A four-year FFA member, Kielak credits FFA with instilling in him the mindset that “there’s no such thing as failure — only feedback.”
“Learn from your mistakes and you can do bigger and better things,” he adds.
The Adventure Begins
As a member of the Loyalton High School FFA Chapter in California, Kielak served as president and secretary, chaired several committees, initiated the chapter’s veterinary science career development event (CDE) team and earned an American FFA Degree. He then attended the University of California, Davis, where he was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and graduated with a degree in agricultural economics.
Andrew “Ranger” Kielak (center) was inspired to give back due, in part, to his experiences as a California FFA member and alumnus.
“He’s the kind of kid that if he saw a need, he filled it,” says Cali Griffin, Loyalton High School agriculture department chair.
During his time in FFA, Griffin says Kielak got out of his comfort zone, learned valuable people skills and gained confidence. Now, she says he’s applied the skills he gained in FFA to continue learning. In 2022, Kielak launched Within Range Life Coaching LLC, where he works as a holistic success coach.
“There are so many resources and people who are wanting to help bring your vision to life,” Kielak says. “Just get clear on what you want to do and start talking about it.”
Taking the First Steps
Inspired by long distance walkers like Mike Posner, Andrew Kivett and Mark Dudek, Kielak decided to embark on a monumental journey of his own this year: walking across America.
“In July 2022, I texted my now-fiancé and told her I was committed to doing the walk,” he says. “Her response was, ‘Well, what’s the first step?’”
When preparing for the cross-country journey, Kielak says he had two goals in mind. In addition to raising $100,000 for impact-driven nonprofits such as FFA, Bigger Than the Trail and the Hospice Promise, Kielak planned to record and post weekly episodes of the Within Range Coaching Podcast that featured interviews with remarkable people.
Reflecting on the Journey
Kielak’s coast-to-coast journey began in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on March 10, 2024, and ended on Aug. 31, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Kielak says this once-in-a-lifetime journey was made possible thanks to support from friends and family. “I like to think this was a community-supported walk,” he adds.
During his time on the road, Kielak didn’t adhere to a strict schedule; although he typically walked around 25 miles per day, some days included anywhere between five to 39 miles.
Through reading Kielak’s story, Griffin hopes her students learn that anything is possible.
“For Andrew to say, ‘I’ve learned this through my years in agriculture, and I want to give back’ is the true meaning of what it means to embody ‘Living to Serve,’” she says.
