Mamie Hertel
FFA has grown and raised many entrepreneurs who have all started their careers in the official blue jacket. Speakers at National FFA Conventions, state FFA conventions, and other events can say their lives started when they zipped up the blue jacket. FFA sets people up for success and growth, especially within agriculture. Achieving success beyond the blue jacket is no small feat, yet many FFA members rise to the challenge and excel in making this vision a reality.
Mamie Hertel is a prime example of success outside of FFA. She was the 2019-20 national vice president for the National FFA Organization and has excelled when representing “Living to Serve.” She serves as a communications specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications. She works constantly on writing content and sharing the benefits behind agricultural education and science. Hertel credits her ability to try new things and reach for new horizons to her experience in the Montana FFA and National FFA.
Her life at Texas A&M has been because of her success in FFA and agriculture. Hertel said, “If it hadn’t been for FFA, I don’t think I would have ever ended up at Texas A&M University. Thanks to the people I met and the connections I made through FFA, I had the chance to visit campus in March of 2020, just before the world shut down for the pandemic.” Even with the problem of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hertel didn’t let that stop her from following her dreams.
FFA allowed Hertel to follow her dreams, even when she retired from wearing the blue jacket. Throughout her experience, she credits FFA with her ability to form genuine connections and gain confidence. She said, “If it weren’t for FFA, I wouldn’t be doing work that I love every single day.”
Hertel advises members who want to reach their goals and dreams: “Let them be guided by what genuinely excites you and makes you feel fulfilled. Your future should reflect your passion, not just a plan. And if that means taking a leap of faith, trust yourself and take it.”
