Heidi Garretson Learned to Lead in FFA — She’s Not Done Yet
Heidi Garretson never set out to be a leader. She just kept showing up.
As a member of the Liberty Center FFA Chapter, Garretson served as both secretary and vice president, pouring herself into community service initiatives that reached families across her small northwest Ohio hometown. This fall, she takes that same drive to Bowling Green State University, where she will study special education with a minor in Spanish.
“Through FFA and my community service efforts, I discovered a passion for helping others succeed and feel supported, especially those who may need extra guidance or advocacy,” Garretson says. “I want to continue serving people in a hands-on, meaningful way, and education allows me to do that every day.”
The path from FFA officer to future educator isn’t a detour. For Garretson, it’s a straight line.
Garreston receiving her State FFA Degree from Former Ohio FFA President Anna Moeller.
Holding two officer positions taught her that leadership isn’t a title; it’s a responsibility.
“I stopped thinking of leadership as just holding a title and started understanding it as being accountable to others,” she says. “I realized that people were depending on me, not just to organize meetings or communicate information, but to set the tone, follow through and support them.”
That accountability extended beyond chapter meetings and into the community, where Garretson helped organize volunteers, coordinate logistics and keep people focused on a purpose larger than any single project.
“When people understand why something matters, they’re more willing to stay engaged and work hard, even when it gets difficult,” she says.
It’s a philosophy she expects to lean on heavily as a special education teacher, where patience, consistency and advocacy aren’t optional — they’re the job.
Garreston introduces the playhouse she helped build to its new owner.
“FFA taught me how to turn intentions into action,” Garretson says. “It’s one thing to talk about making a difference, but it’s another to organize people, follow through and actually see that impact happen.”
For Garretson, the blue jacket may be packed away, but everything it gave her is still very much in use.
