Beyond the Blue Jacket: How State Office Prepared This Teacher for His Future Career
Matthew Wise next to his advisor, Josh Baker, while showing at the district fair in 2004.
Matthew Wise joined Arkansas FFA in the eighth grade; he still remembers his first district leadership conference. As one of the youngest members in the room, he watched the district and state officers who led the conference. Noticing the confidence and purpose they carried themselves with, he made a decision. “I wanted to be one of them,” Wise says.
Throughout his time in FFA, he sought out every opportunity to grow as a leader and communicator by competing in livestock judging, forestry, Creed speaking, extemporaneous speaking and prepared public speaking. Wise also served as chairman in parliamentary procedure, but it was dairy cattle judging that became a defining moment for him.
His team placed first at the state level, and he was honored to place first individually. “The contest took place during state fair, and I actually missed the results because I was working cattle,” he says. Wise’s agriculture teacher, Mr. Josh Baker — who still serves as the Mountain Home FFA Chapter advisor — came running down the aisle and jumped as he informed Wise of his placing.
“That moment stuck with me,” Wise says. “Here was someone I respected, just as excited as I was. It reminded me that success is something we share, not just something we achieve alone.”
Through these experiences, he learned how to think critically, communicate clearly and connect with an audience. Wise became an ardent leader in FFA, serving as chapter vice president, a National FFA delegate and ultimately as the 2008–09 state FFA reporter. Each role pushed him to think beyond himself and consider how to serve others effectively. He learned how to lead meetings, collaborate with a team and represent something bigger than himself.
While not directly involved in FFA or the agriculture industry today, Wise uses those skills every day as a theatre teacher and director. The confidence he built through speaking events shows up as he stands in front of students, speaks at school board meetings and goes into interviews. The leadership skills he developed as an officer guide how he runs his theatre program and mentors his students. Even the critical thinking and decision-making skills from judging influence how he approaches directing and problem-solving in rehearsals.
