What The FFA Blue Jacket Means To Me
Everyone thinks FFA is strictly plants and animals. But I want to show you what I think the FFA blue jacket means to me.
The National FFA Organization has brought me so many cherishable memories. The blue corduroy jackets we wear may be required, but they hold more meaning than most people think. Even though our recognizable blue jackets keep us freezing in winter months and sweating in summer months, the blue jackets bond everyone together. As we ag students like to say, FFA members put the “cult” in “agriculture”. Of course, we do not mean that literally.
The blue corduroy jackets unite all students as a whole. We come together sharing the same passion, a love for agriculture. As much as people think FFA is only plants and animals, that’s not at all true. FFA gives people a home. When I say home I don’t mean a tall two-story house, I mean an organization where students can be themselves.
I will never forget one night in particular. It was one of the nights during our Area IV Leadership Camp. The district officers got together with their area representatives and talked about why we wanted to be a part of FFA. That night I realized FFA didn’t only give me a place to go, but it gave so many others the same opportunity. The stories I heard, many of which matched my story, made me realize I was not alone.
FFA has truly shaped me into a person I am proud of. I have made so many new connections I would never have had before. When you step into the first general session of your first ever state convention, it becomes an eye opener. You look around you and all you see is a sea of blue jackets. Over 16,000 students come together in one room, all united by the love of agriculture. No matter how different each student’s story is, we all have something in common. We all try to use our intellectual knowledge for agriculture.
My term of being the 23-24 Big Country District President came to an end recently. This made me think back on all the memories I had with my officer team. Even though we may not have talked 24/7, we grew to know each other better than the first day we met. Our district officer team was the first to have a district convention. Even though some times were rough, we made it through, all together.
By the end of that day, when we inducted the new officers, it made me look back on when we were first elected as district officers last year. The joy coursing through your body because you made it one step higher than chapter office. The thought of endless possibilities. You do not realize how fast time goes in FFA until you are close to the end. But to think, none of these opportunities would have been possible if it wasn’t for the FFA blue jacket.
I want people to realize how many opportunities FFA has for them. Even if you don’t come from an ag family, you can still achieve a great level of success. You meet so many new people, and you never know what will happen. It doesn’t matter whether you come from a big school or a small school, it doesn’t matter how popular you are, what matters is the passion you have for what you do. FFA can help you find a passion you never knew you had. FFA can grant you abilities you never knew were possible. FFA will allow you to meet life-long friends in the blink of an eye. So I would recommend you give FFA a chance, and see how far it takes you.