From Flowers to Frosting: Learning by Doing in FFA

Cheyenne Steele wins big at Hardin County Youth Project Show.

Creativity can take many forms, from carefully arranging flowers to decorating a perfectly baked cake. For Cheyenne Steele, a senior in the West Hardin FFA Chapter in Texas, hands-on experiences through FFA have allowed her to explore both. Through floral design competitions as a member of Oiler Petals, baking events and her small business, Steele is living out the FFA motto of “Doing to Learn.”

“My interest in floral design first sparked when I was a freshman, and I was in the floral 1 class,” Steele says. Since then, she has earned her Floral 1 Certification and competed in events, such as Texas Tables and other local competitions.

When preparing for a competition, Steele focuses on creativity and planning. She often looks for inspiration from unexpected places. “I strive to go for something that’s going to stand out and be different from everybody who’s competing,” she says. “I try to get inspiration from old movies and different songs. Then, I start planning how I want the arrangement to look.”

Learning Through Creativity and Planning

Competition preparation requires more than artistic ability. Steele carefully budgets and plans each project. She calculates how many flowers she will need, how much they will cost and adds extra room in her budget, in case prices change.

Floral design competitions also have strict time limits, which helped her develop time management skills. “I learned to plan out in my head how I want an arrangement to look, and how long it will take me to put in the greenery and shape it,” Steele says.

Those skills have carried over into another passion: baking.

From Passion to Small Business

In July 2025, Steele launched her baking business, Coated by Chey. Inspired by her experience running a small business, Steele began creating custom desserts for customers.

“I was inspired by my mom and her love of baking,” she says. “She has taught me so many different tactics.”

Coated by Chey baked goods.

The creativity she developed in floral design often appears in her baking projects. When customers allow her creative freedom, Steele applies the same planning, budgeting and artistic thinking she uses in competitions.

“Like with floral budgeting, I do the same things for baked goods,” Steele says. “Whenever I am doing themes, I often use different molds, which can be time consuming, so I have to plan the time and how many I need.”

Her dedication has already led to success. At the Hardin County Youth Project Show, Steele earned Grand Champion Cake with a carrot cake and Grand Champion Bread with zucchini bread, along with champion honors in both senior divisions.

Steele wins 10th at floral competition.

The Meaning of “Doing to Learn”

Through competitions and entrepreneurship, Steele has discovered the power of creativity and perseverance. One lesson stands out above the rest, though.

“One thing I have definitely learned in FFA is that creativity has no limits,” she says. “Your hands can do so much more than what you think. The sky is the limit.”

For Steele, “Doing to Learn” means gaining knowledge through experience. “It means doing what you love, not only to improve yourself, but to learn new ways to approach tasks and challenges,” she says.