From Curiosity to Confidence: Juana Pena’s FFA Journey
When Juana Pena first joined FFA, she admits she wasn’t exactly sure what she was getting into. “I honestly didn’t really know what agriculture or FFA was when I first joined,” she says.
What she did know was that she wanted to be involved with animals. At the time, she was considering pursuing a career in the veterinary industry, and agricultural education seemed like a good starting point. What she didn’t expect was just how much that decision would shape her future.
One of Pena’s biggest influences throughout her FFA journey has been Kristie Laverdiere, the farm manager at Lakeview High School who is also involved in the Wamogo FFA Chapter in Connecticut. Pena shares that Laverdiere is not only someone she respects in agriculture, but someone she strives to be like as a person. She describes her as enduring, kind, thoughtful and successful within the industry.
Pena credits Laverdiere with pushing her to grow, holding her accountable and always being there when needed. She even recalls how her first time castrating pigs — an experience that challenged her and helped build her confidence — was made possible through that mentorship. Beyond one mentor, Pena says her entire agricultural education department feels like family, a support system she can always rely on.
Like many dedicated FFA members, Pena has faced challenges. One of her biggest struggles has been managing her time. Balancing school, leadership roles, work, competitions and extracurricular activities can be overwhelming. However, she recognizes that growth often comes from those challenges. Learning when to push herself and when to step back has been an important lesson in her journey.
Throughout high school, Pena has held several FFA leadership positions, including freshman secretary, junior/senior committee vice chair and vice president. Each role has strengthened her communication skills, responsibility and confidence as a leader.
Her Supervised Agricultural Experience is a paid placement project at her school’s barn. During and outside of the school day, Pena feeds and cleans stalls, ensures animals are turned out and brought back safely, and helps maintain daily operations. This hands-on experience has strengthened her livestock management skills and work ethic. In addition, Pena shows beef cattle and works at Action Wildlife, where she gains experience working with exotic animals.
Pena working with her beef cow.
Pena has also competed in multiple Career Development Events, with two standing out the most. She placed second individually in the state in agricultural sales. In horse evaluation, her team placed first in the state in 2025 — a milestone that meant even more because her team had been working toward that goal since freshman year.
Outside of FFA, Pena is active in 4-H, where she shows beef cattle, and has also participated in soccer and track during high school.
What began as a simple interest in animals became something much bigger. Through agricultural education and FFA, Pena found not only a passion, but a purpose — proving that sometimes stepping into something unfamiliar can lead to the greatest growth.
