Life in Blue and Gold:Kennedy Jansma
Kennedy received awards and certificates at her sophomore year banquet.
Finding My Start in FFA
Throughout this year as an FFA in the USA Reporter, I have enjoyed publishing stories, highlighting people across Wisconsin. Now, I have the opportunity to share my own story and advice.
My FFA journey started during my freshman year. It was the middle of November, just after the National FFA Convention & Expo. As someone active on social media, my TikTok feed was filled with videos from Indianapolis. At that moment, I knew I needed to join FFA.
I attended the next chapter meeting and signed up that very day. Little did I know that decision would lead me to where I am now—writing this article.
Growing Through Involvement
Throughout my FFA journey, I have had the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities. Serving as an officer pushed me to step outside my comfort zone and try new things.
During the 2025–2026 school year, I served as our chapter reporter. I enjoyed the social media and marketing side of the role, and grew significantly as a leader. Recently, I was re-elected and will serve as the Ripon FFA President for the 2026–27 school year.
Throughout this year, I have had the opportunity to compete in many competitions. For leadership development events, I competed in extemporaneous speaking and parliamentary procedure. I recommend LDEs to everyone, especially younger/new members. They have helped me so much with my public speaking and professionalism when speaking. For career development events, I competed in my regular event, vet science, and I was also pulled up to compete at state with our wildlife team. I love CDEs because they give students an opportunity to compete in an area of their interest while still showing them that it’s important to practice and come well-prepared.
Becoming an FFA in the USA Reporter
When I applied to become an FFA in the USA Reporter, it was completely on a whim. I enjoyed writing, but I had never really had the opportunity to write outside of school assignments.
I had very little confidence in myself and honestly didn’t think I would be selected. When I received the acceptance email, it felt surreal. I was beyond excited.
Having the opportunity to write and share stories from across Wisconsin has been an incredible experience. That experience then led me to apply for the Wisconsin Public Relations Team, where I was accepted as part of the Creative Writing Team. Being able to advocate for agriculture on a new level has opened me up to so many opportunities. I hope to continue writing and serving as an FFA in the USA Reporter next year.
My Advice to FFA Members
Throughout my FFA experience, I have made plenty of mistakes, but, more importantly, I have experienced significant growth. Here are five pieces of advice I would share with other members.
1. Don’t Be Afraid to Take on Too Much (Within Reason)
Spring tends to be a very busy time for me. Between sports, schoolwork, FFA, work, jazz band, concert band, and other responsibilities, my schedule fills up quickly. On top of that, I’ve had opportunities such as serving as a state delegate, working in public relations, and writing articles for FFA in the USA.
It can feel overwhelming, but there is value in learning how to manage a full schedule. Life will eventually bring moments where everything happens at once. Learning how to handle that now helps prepare you for the future, when things can seem chaotic.
2. Keep an Organized Schedule
Keeping an organized schedule is a skill that will benefit you outside of FFA and high school. During my freshman year, I had very little structure. I was constantly stressed and only planned about a week ahead, which led to conflicts and unreliability.
Now I use an online calendar on my phone. It helps me stay organized with reminders and allows me to update things on the go. It also gives you the opportunity to share events through email. I find that helpful for my teammates, friends, and most importantly, parents, so they stay in the know. Staying organized reduces stress and makes life run much more smoothly.
- Over-Communicate
In team settings, I’ve learned that over-communication prevents many miscommunications.
Repeating important details like times, dates, and expectations helps keep everyone on the same page. Using multiple communication methods, such as messages, posters, social media, face-to-face conversations, and follow-ups, helps ensure nothing gets missed along the way.
- Have Confidence in Yourself
When I ran for chapter president, I was competing against a member a year older than me and lacked confidence. Afterward, one of my main pieces of feedback was that I needed to speak with more confidence.
The same challenge showed up when I competed at the state level on our Wildlife CDE team. The normal CDE I compete in is vet science, so being put into something I only have a background in because of personal experience is difficult. Even though I prepared a lot, I still doubted myself. One of my teammates told me, “You need to have more confidence in yourself, you always think you’ll do badly, but we all know you’re going to do well.”
That comment has stuck with me. Confidence doesn’t guarantee success, but a lack of it can hold you back more than anything else.
5. Take Advantage of Every Opportunity
My final piece of advice is to take advantage of as many opportunities as you can while in FFA. There are so many hidden experiences that members miss out on.
Programs like FFA in the USA and Public Relations have been some of the most impactful parts of my journey. I recommend staying active on social media and following National FFA and Wisconsin FFA to stay aware of opportunities.
Every experience I’ve had beyond the chapter level started because I saw a post and then decided to apply. It can be intimidating to try new things, but you are far more likely to regret the opportunities you didn’t take than the ones you did.
In FFA, I’ve learned that growth doesn’t come from being perfect—it comes from showing up, trying new things, and pushing yourself even when you’re unsure. Every opportunity I’ve taken has shaped who I am today, and I know there are still many more ahead. If you take anything from my story, let it be this: don’t wait until you feel ready, just dive right in, and figure it out along the way. Those experiences will benefit you in so many ways!
