Throughout your journey in FFA, you will encounter so many career exploration opportunities, meet inspiring leaders and speakers across the country, and discover who you truly are. However, have you ever taken a moment to ask yourself, “Why am I in FFA?”
Your Why
Many FFA members claim to have joined FFA because their friends encouraged them to, they thought the trips looked fun, it would look good on a college application, and some may have even joined for the free food. At some point, you will understand the true significance of FFA and why you continue to stay involved. It is known as the “FFA Why,” and it is unique to everyone. For some, it may focus on personal growth, such as how FFA helps develop leadership skills, public speaking abilities, and self-confidence. For others, it may highlight the opportunities FFA provides for exploring various agricultural careers and gaining hands-on experiences. It might emphasize the community involvement aspect, showing how FFA encourages civic engagement and taking on an active role in community service projects, or, maybe it will include the lifelong connections, friendships, and professional networks made through FFA.
Determining your Why is a crucial step in advancing your character, esteem, and reputation. Whether or not you are considering applying to be a chapter, regional, district, state, or even national FFA officer, it is important you take a moment to reflect on your Why because it provides you with purpose and direction within the organization. It also helps you understand the value of your involvement and will motivate you to achieve your goals.
Steps to Unlock Your Why
Here are some steps that will guide you in crafting your Why:
- Reflect on your values: Consider what’s important to you and how FFA aligns with those values.
- Identify your goals: Determine what you want to achieve through FFA and how it can help you reach those goals.
- Explore your interests: Discover different aspects of agriculture that fuel your passion and learn how FFA can drive you towards those interests.
- Reflect on what you’ve gained: Focus on the specific skills and opportunities you’ve gained and improve on through FFA.
- Seek mentorship: Connect with experienced FFA members who can offer guidance and support. These people can include members or officers from your own chapter, state FFA officers, national officers, FFA Alumni, or even your advisor!
National and State Officer Whys
Below are 15 examples of State and National FFA Officers’ Whys to help you find yours.
Luke Jennings, 2024-25 National FFA Secretary
“I continued to become involved in FFA at all levels because of the community that I found and realizing that I had an opportunity to play a small part in a legacy much greater than myself. Time and time again, I witnessed how the blue jacket is able to bring together unique individuals from all walks of life with different passions, experiences, and backgrounds and give them a sense of belonging that we’re all looking for. As I continued along my FFA journey, I began to understand the impact that FFA has had on millions for decades. I’d seen how FFA had changed my life and helped so many of my friends, then my eyes opened to how it had impacted so many before me and would continue to do so after I hung up the blue jacket. I knew for certain I wanted to play a small role in the life-changing mission of FFA and feel beyond blessed that I was able to be a part of our organization in this way!”
Jarren McBride, New Mexico State Vice President
“My ‘why’ is one simple word: people. My ‘why’ is the people that I can watch grow because I had a positive impact on them. A quote I try to live by is “the greatest leader isn’t necessarily the one who does the greatest things. They are the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” I don’t want to be defined by my own accomplishments. I want to be defined by the accomplishments of the people around me.”
Jenna Lawler, Indiana State Reporter
“My ‘why’ is that I found a home in FFA, a place where I was heard, seen, and most importantly, valued. I had people who believed in me long before I understood my own potential. They pushed me to grow and helped build a sense of pride, passion, and purpose within me. Because of my mentors, I’m able to be the person I am today. Now, I want to be that person for someone else, the one who stands in their corner, reminds them of their worth, and makes them feel seen, valued, and heard.”
Jessica Peters, Michigan State Reporter
“I joined FFA because I wanted to show livestock through my school’s animal cooperative program. Initially, I was extremely quiet and rarely spoke up. That started to change after I competed in the Greenhand Public Speaking contest, where I began to discover my voice and gain confidence. As I became more involved, I ran for chapter office, and that is when FFA truly began to shape my life. This organization has given me invaluable leadership skills, confidence, purpose, and a clear direction for my future career. Those experiences are exactly why I chose to run for state office. I wanted to give back to the organization that has given me so much. FFA has profoundly impacted my life, and I am grateful for every step of that journey.”
Christopher Bennett, New Mexico State Vice President and District 6 President
“To really understand my ‘why,’ I’ve got to take you back a bit. I wasn’t the kid who grew up all-in with FFA. My first real spark for leadership came on the baseball field as a team captain, where I learned how to guide people and show up for them. Showing pigs, judging contests, and parli pro were things I did for fun, not things I ever expected to define me. Inside my chapter, no one was pushing me to run for chapter, district, or state office. But going into my senior year, everything shifted. My ag teacher left, and suddenly I felt this pull toward something bigger. State office started to feel like a calling a chance to be part of an organization built on leadership, growth, and helping students step out of their comfort zones the way I once had to step out of mine. I still remember walking into that nominating committee room, looking each member in the eye, and saying that even if state office wasn’t my path, I knew I could still make a difference without the title. Now, six months into serving as a state officer, I’ve taken a good look in the mirror and asked myself if the title has changed me. And honestly, it hasn’t. I’m still the same kid who wasn’t expected to run, I just chose to try. One thing I live by is the idea that we live in a world full of yes and no, and “no” is the worst anyone can tell you. When you run for state office, the worst possible outcome is being told no, so why not go for it? Why not try a new contest, take a chance, or open yourself up to change? The world is full of opportunities, but it’s up to us to be willing to step into them. A verse that always gives me purpose is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” To me, that means every challenge, every yes, and every no is part of a journey already laid out for me. My job is just to walk that path with courage, trusting that every step has purpose.”
Andersen Zachar, Michigan State Treasurer
Autumn Benson, Montana State Reporter
“I am a big lover of flowers and I love learning new things, one day I came across an article that talked about sunflowers (my favorite flower). It’s commonly known that sunflowers turn their faces towards the sun, and of course, in that way earned their name. What I learned from that article, however, is that when it’s cloudy out and the sun is not shining, sunflowers turn and face each other. While that’s scientifically really cool, I also think it holds a deeper lesson! How important is it that we, as people, are each other’s sunflowers! You never know whose skies are cloudy, and who just really needs a smiling face to turn to when it starts to rain. I have ALWAYS found a sunflower in the FFA. Whether it was my advisor believing in me whenever I didn’t believe in myself, a friend lifting me up after a rough contest, or an alumnus introducing me to an opportunity that would change my life, to me, the FFA organization was full of sunflowers. I have traveled all across my state, nation, and even the world, experiencing agriculture in the most amazing places. I can truly say that without FFA, I would not be the person I am today. To put it simply, my “why” is to be a sunflower for every man, woman, and child that I meet along my FFA journey.”
Keira Fudge. Michigan State Vice President at Large
“When I first joined FFA when I was in seventh grade, I did it simply because my friends were. Looking back, I stayed in FFA because of the amazing impact I saw it had on myself and others. FFA gives students the opportunity to look within themselves and find areas of personal growth while simultaneously building career paths and futures within the industry of agriculture. I couldn’t be more blessed that what I thought would be an extracurricular with my friends was actually an inter-curricular that changed my life wholeheartedly.”
Brooke Luedtke, Wisconsin State Treasurer
“My why for being a state officer has always been rooted in gratitude. FFA shaped me in so many ways. It gave me confidence, friendships, and opportunities I never expected. I did not run for a title or recognition. I ran because I wanted to quietly make a difference where I could. I wanted to be someone members felt comfortable talking to, someone who listened, showed up, and cared in the small moments. Past leaders made me feel seen and valued, and all I hoped for was to offer even a little of that to someone else. To me, being a state officer is not about being important. It is about being useful. It is about helping others feel supported, reminding them that they belong, and lifting them up the way so many people have lifted me. My why is simple: to humbly serve an organization that changed my life and to give others the same sense of hope and possibility that FFA gave me.”
Brent De Saegher, Michigan FFA State President
T. Wayne Williams, 2025-26 Southern Region Vice President
“My ‘why’ is my community. Freshman year, I was a 5’4 kid with blue braces and a permed mullet who thought he’d be the next Steph Curry. FFA wasn’t even on my radar until my advisor stopped me one Friday and said, “You just need to take one step outside your comfort zone.” That one step into the blue jacket changed everything and gave me people who believed in me before I believed in myself. Years later, as a Tennessee State Officer, I met a member named Daltry at camp who said he didn’t feel like he had a home in FFA. I told him the same thing my advisor told me: just take one step, and I’d be right there with him. By the end of the week, he was trying new things and finding confidence he didn’t know he had. That’s my why: FFA gave me a community, and now I stay to help others find theirs.”
Layten Sobieski, Wisconsin State Sentinel
“My reason was about simple connections because we have to connect with the hearts of others for them to grow, learn, and become the best leaders they can be. For me, it was my FFA advisor who pushed me outside my comfort zone, as well as the members around me who impacted my journey throughout FFA. The simple statements from members and my advisor encouraged me to run for state office. Because of their statements, I reflected on the impact I had and they had on me. This moment solidified my passion for serving others. As a State Officer, I hope to positively influence every member I encounter, helping them discover their purpose within FFA and the industry of agriculture. For me, leadership is not a role – it’s a calling. Each member’s journey is unique, and I aspire to help them uncover what makes them special while fostering a community that advocates, leads, and serves with heart. My Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) has played a key role in shaping my understanding of the industry, and I am eager to share both the challenges and successes I have faced. By connecting with members through my own story and passion for agriculture, leadership, and FFA, I hope to inspire my peers.”
Lizzie Hartmann, Michigan FFA Vice President at Large
Claire Woeppel, 2025-26 Central Region Vice President
“My ‘why’ is to love! I desire to meet everyone where they are, show them love, genuinely listen to and support them, and lift them to find their true purpose. This is so easy to do with an organization that I love and people that feel like family. FFA is a big family full of dedicated, passionate, and kind leaders. I desire to love them, just as I am loved!”
From Reflection to Action
Knowing your Why will offer you guidance throughout your FFA journey and push you to your fullest potential as a leader. To inspire others and serve as a role model, you must first be confident in yourself and know who you are. If you are considering running for office in the near future, taking this step will help you find direction and give you the strength you need. So, take the first step today: reflect on your Why and let it guide you towards a fulfilling FFA experience.
