Towards the end of my 8th
grade year I had heard of FFA, but really didn't know what it was all about. At
my school, all 8th graders considering joining the Ag program are
invited to a sort of recruitment party, and most of the 8th graders
go because there’s free pizza. So, my entire FFA career was basically started
over a slice of pizza!
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| This years pizza party for my chapter and interested 8th graders |
Growing up, I didn't really have an
extremely strong background in agriculture; although, both of my parents grew
up with a strong agriculture background and were both FFA members. When I was
12, my dad approached me about starting a lawn care and landscaping company. That
conversation sparked my interest in the Supervised Agricultural Program, which
really led to my membership in FFA. My first year as a member doesn't really
stand out. I tried a couple CDE’s and met a few people, but other than that, I
never really got involved. I was really shy and it didn't help that I missed
about 3 months of my freshman year. (More on this later)
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| My parents FFA Jackets from their time in the Wabaunsee FFA chapter. |
This all changed when my advisor
approached me about running for chapter office. I spent sophomore year as my
chapter reporter, and it completely changed my experience in FFA. Once I
started getting really involved in my chapter, I became good friends with a
couple of members that were older than me. They were all leaders in our chapter
and I really owe where I am today in FFA to them. They introduced me to a lot
of people in our district, and it was because of these new friends that I got
more involved on the district level.
I was meeting new people and had found a
couple of contests that I really liked. I got the opportunity to compete at
state and attend state convention as a delegate. I had a great time there with
all my friends and just enjoyed some time outside of school. My sophomore year
is really what inspired me to jump into FFA wholeheartedly, and that same group
of friends, are who convinced me to run for district office. This year, I’ve
had the honor of serving as North Central District Treasurer and as Southeast
of Saline chapter President; both have been absolutely life changing for me.
The experiences I’ve had with my officer team, gives me a group of incredibly
close friends that I could not imagine how my life would be without them. Its
mind boggling to me that my entire life was forever changed by that one slice
of pizza three years ago.
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| This years North Central District Officer team after a successful Greenhand Conference! |
The speech I gave when running for
district office was about my time in the hospital. I have something called
Guillian-Barré syndrome; my immune system attacked my nerves. I was losing all
feeling, and was paralyzed from the neck down for about a month. I wasn’t given
that great of chance of surviving and was given an even less likely chance of
ever walking again. We all have those sorts of defining moments in life, where
we choose how we are going to let a challenge hold us back, or continue to live
our life. I challenge you to find your “slice” in agriculture and in FFA,
despite all the challenges you face every day.
Wyatt Rutherford
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