Scott Wood has spent years dedicating his time, talent and heart to the National FFA Organization — earning him the reputation of a true “super volunteer.” During this week’s 98th National FFA Convention & Expo, he lent a hand in the Living to Serve booth, where members weaved paracord leashes for the Indy Humane Society.
Wood’s FFA journey began years ago, and is rooted in his time as an agriculture student. After serving in the Navy and working for a major museum in Washington, D.C., he found his way back to agriculture through volunteering.
“I was on the internet one day, looking up FFA.org,” Wood says. “There was a Regional Leadership Development conference in Maryland, so I decided to go. I met some really good people there, and that’s how it started — back in 2016 or 2017.”
Since then, Wood has volunteered at countless events, where he’s been motivated by the people who make FFA what it is. “It’s all about the people — the young people, the staff, the alumni,” he says. “I’m just that small peg? spoke? on the wagon wheel, but there’s a lot of talent here.”
This year, Wood’s service was recognized with the Honorary American FFA Degree, the organization’s highest honor for non-members. “To be honest, I was ready to mail it back,” he says. “I thought it was a mistake. I’m still very humble.”
For Wood, volunteering is about giving back to a program that shaped him and helping others grow. “The only way to get things done is through volunteering,” he says. “There’s a lot to be done in agriculture.”
Servant leaders like Wood embody the FFA motto of “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve.”
