Jackson Sylvester – Lace Up and Serve

This is Jackson Sylvester's 2022 retiring address as 2021-22 National FFA Secretary, titled "Lace Up and Serve." Drawing on personal stories—his brother Carter pulling him from a frozen creek, the painful re-adoption of his cousin Ethan, and his pre-office job as a welder—Jackson explores how the most fulfilling life comes from serving others through small sacrifices and seeing situations from other people's perspectives. He uses the metaphor of changing from work boots to dress shoes to argue that no matter what path members pursue, their desire to serve should remain constant.