Growing Into Leadership

Oscar Martinez Hernandez never planned to join FFA. In fact, when he was placed in an agricultural education class as a freshman at Atkinson County High School in Pearson, Ga., his first instinct was to find a way out.

“I thought I would feel so out of place,” Hernandez recalls. “But FFA has given me friends and experiences; it’s given me so much.”

For Hernandez, who was born in Mexico and moved to Georgia when he was 6 years old, FFA provided leadership opportunities, helped build confidence and instilled a sense of belonging. He became a chapter officer, competed in leadership events and discovered a passion for agricultural education. 

During some of the most difficult years of his life, including the loss of his father and grandmother during the COVID-19 pandemic, FFA became an anchor that kept him focused on his future.

Hernandez credits the leadership skills he developed through FFA with helping him take advantage of opportunities that once seemed out of reach, including a college education. Hernandez graduated from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) in 2026 with a degree in agricultural education and became the first person in his family to earn a college degree. 

During his freshman year of college, Hernandez participated in ABAC Upward Bound and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) that were designed to support first-generation college students and students with migrant or seasonal farmworker backgrounds. He also became a U.S. citizen while studying for his degree.

Hernandez continued seeking out leadership positions, serving as a student ambassador, resident assistant and leader in campus organizations and served as one of 11 Convention Collegiate Assistants for career and leadership development events at the National FFA Convention & Expo. He also completed an internship in Washington, D.C., with U.S. Representative Austin Scott.

“Being able to work for a Congressional office was a mind-blowing experience,” he says. “It taught me that there’s no limit to what you can do.”

Today, Hernandez works with the Upward Bound program that helped prepare him for college, encouraging students from under-resourced communities to pursue higher education and explore new possibilities. He believes that giving back is a natural extension of what FFA gave him.

Hernandez adds this sentiment in Spanish: “Creo que el momento en que sales de tu zona de confort es cuando realmente eres capaz de alcanzar tu máximo potencial.” [“I think the moment you step out of your comfort zone is when you are able to actually reach your full potential.”]

“FFA can take you to the moon and back if you give it a chance,” Hernandez says.