Garrett Craig 2017-2018 District Vice President

Hello, everyone! I am Garrett Craig and the 2017-2018 North Central District Vice President. I live in Clay County and really enjoy living in a rural area. My family consists of myself, my sister Maddison who is a freshman, my brother Owen who is a fifth grader, my mom Erica who is a substitute teacher and my dad Brent who works for a company called "ESPi" in Clay Center. The saying goes, "it takes a village," so I must have been trouble because I've had more extended family members around me as I've grown up than I care to count.

I am a senior at Clay Center Community High School and enjoy many activities there. First and foremost, FFA (of course). Since entering the FFA as an eighth grader, my life has been influenced not only by the great people I've met but also the wonderful, tangible skills I have acquired. Without FFA being in our school system, I would have never discovered one of my true passions in life, which is agriculture. Through the help of my advisors, fellow members, parents, and friends, I have grown to appreciate the different aspects of agriculture in my daily life. I notice them, especially when working on my SAE (supervised agriculture experience). Mine is under Diversified Agriculture Production. My grandparents own a small farm and a fairly large cow-calf operation. To say it was a large part of my childhood is an understatement. Receiving my first cow at the meek age of 3 months, I have come to love beef cattle. Bundled up in a car seat, 3 month-old me sat crying my eyes out in the calving barn for 2 hours while my grandparents pulled a heifer calf. Feeling pangs of guilt from the little guy in the corner, Grandpa broke down and said "Here, have her. You waited long enough." Now a much older, I work with them to manage their herd and get a lot of excitement out of making genetic decisions as well as the keep/cull process of saving replacement heifers. I work for a swine production operation last summer, so I have a diverse back ground in some aspects of animal production. My grandparents are tremendous role models, especially my grandmothers. One is a nurse who devotes countless hours to helping people feel better again. The other is farm wife who doesn't like to stay in the house. As a child, I thought this was the normal way grandmothers were. I soon discovered, however, that not all grandmothers give people shots and administer medicine, and not all grandmothers chase cows and run chainsaws.
Outside of FFA, I keep a pretty busy schedule. I play football and am a three-year varsity letterman. Being my senior year, it made me realize how much I'll miss it after I graduate. I compete in powerlifting and placed 3rd in 4A 198lbs men last spring. Music is another huge part of my life. I am in my school's show choir, "Tiger Chorale," and although I may not be a great dancer, enjoy being in the group and performing for people. Speaking of dancing... I will be the first to admit that I am not a good one. Someone should have told me that before I accepted the role of Ren McCormack in the CCCHS production of Footloose. I'm no Kevin Bacon, but I hope I will enjoy the show as much as the audience will! As the year goes on, it will be my privilege to get to work with the members of the North Central District. Our members are truly the best and I can't wait for what is to come this school year!


Garrett Craig
2017-2018 NCD Vice President

Lauren Simmons 2017-2018 District Treasurer

My name is Lauren Simmons and I am going to be a Junior at Washington County High School. I am your North Central District Treasurer. I have three siblings. Jefferson is the oldest and will be graduating from Kansas State University this upcoming year. Tyler is a year younger than me and will be a Sophomore at Washington. Mandy is the youngest and will be an 8th grader at Washington. My parents are Bruce and Kathy.

I have been around animals ever since I was a little girl. I remember my first pet was a pygmy goat named Gerdie. Eventually that goat, along with some cats and a dog, lead to what our friends and family called the "funny farm." As the years passed by, we added pigs, sheep, ducks, chickens, rabbits, calves, and three horses. One horse was a miniature horse that led to many stories we now laugh about. My dad was so excited about buying us this horse that was NOT broke. You may think how can a miniature horse be scary? It was. After many tears had been shed one night, my younger brother was up next to take his turn on the horse. Things were not going so well and my dad decided to slap the horse's butt. My brother was still in the saddle and the horse took off. My 45 pound brother fell out of the saddle, but his boot remained in one stirrup. The horse drug him around the arena and when his boot finally came loose, half of my little brother's face was completely scraped up.

Today we only have sheep, pigs, and a dog. My SAE is Swine Production Placement. I help my family raise show pigs. In this operation, I work for my dad by helping administer shots, feeding pigs, and cleaning pens. My payment is getting two pigs to show throughout the spring and summer. The remaining pigs will be sold on an online auction. After the state fair, the best gilts will go back to the herd and the barrows will be sold to market. The money earned will return to the operation.

FFA is a huge part of my life, but I also enjoy many other activities. I am involved in FBLA, FCCLA, CYO, 4-H, volleyball, and track. Hopefully everyone is off to a great school year. I look forward to meeting all of the FFA members throughout our district.



Lauren Simmons
2017-2018 NCD Treasurer

Breanna Schroeder | 2017-2018 District Reporter

One of my earliest childhood memories was learning how to ride. I’m almost positive I sat on horses before I could walk. There was a combination of two things that always made riding unforgettable. The first is obviously horses, but the second is my grandpa. My grandpa introduced me to agriculture the second I was allowed to leave the house. Our trips consisted of everything from feeding cows to traveling to horse sales. Countless life lessons were learned in those trips, even though we are so alike and stubborn that a lot of them involved shouting before any learning took place. However, through it all, I’m so blessed that he planted the agriculture seed in my life.

My name Breanna Schroeder, though everyone calls me Breezy, from the Beloit FFA Chapter and I’m proud to serve as your 2017-2018 NCD Reporter! I was born in Hays, KS and was quickly moved to Manhattan, KS where I began to grow up. My childhood consisted of visiting my grandparents farm, attending KSU basketball and football games, and playing any and every sport that was thrown at me. I have two little brothers that are my world. Brodie is 11 years old and going to be in 6th grade and Brevin is 5 and going to be starting kindergarten. I live with my brothers and my mom and dad Brent and Heather Schroeder.

I began first grade attending Riley County Elementary School. Those years flew by until 5th grade when my life started to take shape. My family decided to move out to my grandparents farm to live with them until we began to build our house next to there’s. This is why 5th grade was the best year of my life. I loved the farm more than anything, but of course with ups there are downs.

My nurse and I after finishing my first ever treatment in the hospital

My 6th grade year was the hardest year of my life. In August of 2012 I was diagnosed with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, or ITP for short. Basically what that means is my platelets are low and we still to this day don’t know why. Platelets are the blood cell that clots your blood so not having enough would mean you are more susceptible to internal and external bleeding. There is no cure for ITP, but there are treatments. I monitor my platelet count by getting blood drawn about every month and my treatments consist of IV’s in the hospital with a medicine called WinRho only when my platelets get low. Since there is no cure for ITP my body has to fix itself so I am currently living with chronic ITP and am handling it extremely well.

My 7th grade year my family once again decided to pack it up and move. My dad started working for Hardman Wholesale in Osborne, KS so we moved to Beloit, KS. I know it doesn’t make sense. The reason for living in Beloit is we are living right between both of my grandparents, one set in Osborne and one in Riley. My dad has now switched back to his old job which is being a sales rep for Standard Beverage, but we still live in Beloit. My mom sells Premier Designs Jewelry and is a transcriptionist for a couple of doctors.

I attend school at Beloit Jr. Sr. High School and am involved is several different clubs (of course FFA) and play volleyball, basketball, and softball. In my free time, if I ever have any, you can usually find me at the ball fields playing softball or hanging out with family. I travel back to Manhattan a ton for football games and to visit the farm.

My summer softball team after we won state last year

My SAE is in specialty animal production. I raise a special type of quail called coturnix quail. Coturnix quail are extremely special, especially in my life. They contain high concentration of minerals, protein, and good cholesterol. For me personally, coturnix quail eggs have had a significant impact on my autoimmune disorder. It has allowed me longer time between treatments which means the world to me. Not only has my SAE taught me life skills but it has improved my life as a whole, which makes it extremely important to me.

A few of my coturnix quail on the farm

The biggest thing I look forward to this year is getting to meet all of you guys! I’ve told you so much about me but I really want to learn about you! I hope you’ve all had a fantastic summer and are ready for the best year ever because it’s coming fast! See you all very soon!

Breezy Schroeder

2017-18 NCD Reporter

Peyton Horn | 2017-2018 District Sentinel

Kicking off the year we are going to continue to do weekly blog posts. Our first six will tell everyone a little bit about the 2017-2018 NCD Officer team. 

My name is Peyton Horn and some of you may know that I went to Blue Valley, however, this upcoming year I will be attending Chapman. My SAE is in Poultry Production Entrepreneurship where I raise 30 laying hens and sell or give away the eggs to family, friends, and neighbors. Some of my favorite CDEs & LDEs include, Job Interview, Nursery and Landscape, Discussion Meet, and Extemporaneous Speaking. I've got three younger brothers that my mom had with my stepdad that I love to hang out with, even though they can annoy me at times. Some other things that you may not know about me is, I love to play football, I'm a huge Broncos and K-State Fan! I'm so excited to be able to connect more with the members of the North Central District and look forward to seeing the strides towards success the members of our district continue to make.

To The Dr. Seuss In All Of Us

Hi North Central FFA District, this is Riley Sleichter from the Abilene FFA Chapter, and it has been my pleasure to serve you as the District Reporter over the past year. During my year of service, I have had the opportunity to meet countless members of the North Central District, and to those of you who have been cursed with my presence, you know that I am a “bottomless pit” when it comes to eating, my whisper can be heard across a busy room, and my love for my show cows is a bit excessive to say the least. For those of you who have been blessed by avoiding my rampage of making-friends-with-everyone-in-the-room, beware because you are soon to become my next victim and will no longer be a stranger to me.

When I witnessed my cousin’s high-school graduation three years ago, I chuckled to myself about the desolate atmosphere of her graduation party, and I thought with an immature, teenage confidence that I would not be as emotional as my cousin when it came to my graduation. Not knowing many others than my immediate family, I spent the day next to my dad because he insisted I left my cousin alone to be with her friends. When I finally asked for his reasoning on why I should leave my cousin alone with her classmates, he responded in that wise tone that all fathers have: “After today, the chances of Brittney (my cousin) seeing all of her classmates together again are very slim, but her seeing her family all together will last her lifetime.”

Myself on the left with some of my closest classmates

My father’s words, as always, made a considerable impact on me and changed the way in which I view my high school graduation. The mentality of “Senioritis” began looming over me on New Year’s Day when I finally realized that the calendar struck the year 2017, and in five short months I would be strutting across the stage to receive my diploma. While most seniors who catch “Senioritis” tend to develop a form that cannot wait for graduation, I caught a mutated version of the virus that instead of yearning to graduate, I began to beg time to slow down. I began regretting all the times that I decided to stay home rather than hang out with friends and reminiscing the great memories I developed over the previous three years. The realization of my father’s words finally hit me, and I realized that in three months the 134 other people who I spent the first 17 years of my life with will begin to scatter across the nation and phase out of my life.

Now I glance back to myself at my cousin's graduation party and realize that I am in the same shoes that she was in: yearning to make the most of the remainder of my high school career with my classmates. I have begun cherishing the time I have with my classmates, and I am scrapping for more. Whether it has been by feeding my calves an hour earlier to get to the game sooner or meeting my friends at Sonic on a school night at nine-o’clock and talking for three hours (with parents’ approval of course), I have begun treasuring every moment of time I get with them.

In the four years of my high school education, one of the greatest ideas that I have grasped is that no matter what we do time keeps ticking. Time is indifferent about the paper due in the morning that you have yet to start and the calf that you are working so hard to keep alive. No matter what you do, time always prevails; that paper will be due at 8:00 the next morning and eventually that calf will pass away to become one, again, with the earth. Our time here on earth–and with our friends–is limited and it will continue to tick until ours finally runs out, no matter if we made the most of it or not. I encourage you to make the most out of the time you have with your friends, because that seemingly endless amount of time until graduation will come quicker than you expect. Then, you will be saying goodbye to the people who you have spent a majority of your life with, and it will be a bitter-sweet moment.

When the good phases of your life come to an end and your life forever changes, relive a moment from your childhood to perpend Dr. Seuss' advice: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

Enjoy your time while you have it,

Riley Sleichter

2016-17 North Central District Report 

What does it mean to be a L.E.A.D.E.R.?

Leads with integrity

Encourages others to do their best

Always puts other people’s needs above their own

Desires to serve others

Easily approachable

Reliable in every situation

L. Leads with integrity. A good leader is someone who always leads with integrity. Integrity is being honest and doing the right thing, even if your decision isn’t popular. Sometimes we feel the desire to do what makes us look ‘cool’ even if we know it’s wrong. Is that an example to set? It is not always going to be easy to do the right thing, but it will be worth it in the end.

“Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.”    -Brené Brown

E. Encourages others to do their best. Sometimes people get stuck in a rut and just go through the motions on a daily basis. As a leader, you should remind them that they can do great things, but first they must give their best effort.

“When you encourage others, you in the process are encouraged because you're making a commitment and difference in that person's life. Encouragement really does make a difference.”   -Zig Ziglar

A. Always puts other people’s needs above their own. It’s not always easy, but the people you are leading need to know that you are willing to put their needs above your own. Being a leader is about sacrificing for the greater good.

“A hero is someone who is willing to help others in his or her best capacity.”    -Ricky Martin

D. Desire to serve others. Service should drive you as a leader. Good leaders are the ones who always go out of their way to help other people without having to be asked. It could be as simple as smiling at someone as you pass them in the hallway or having a conversation with someone if they are having a bad day.

“The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.”    -Albert Schweitzer

E. Easily approachable. As a leader, you want people to be comfortable talking to you about things. For example, if there was a problem that needed to be addressed, you would want to know, right? If people are comfortable around you, they will approach you and talk to you about the situation.

“I suppose at one time leadership meant muscles; today it means getting along with others.”    -Mahatma Gandhi

R. Reliable in every situation. Sometimes we encounter situations that make us feel uncomfortable or are difficult, but we can’t just quit. We must persevere through the hard situations in order to show that we are reliable and we will always be there for the people that need us.

“Creativity isn’t worth a thing if it isn’t served with an equal amount of reliability.”    -Anton Peck

Being active in the FFA organization provides students with many opportunities to develop their leadership skills. State Conference for Chapter Leaders, Washington Leadership Conference, Leader Lab, State Convention, and even National Convention are just a few places that offer opportunities to grow as a person and as a leader. If you attend any of these events, you will notice that the facilitator of the session or workshop is probably a very effective leader. Do you think they just woke up one morning and said, “I think I’m going to be a leader today.” No. Becoming a leader is a process and it takes time. There is going to be failure, and if you are like me, lots of it. It’s not a bad thing; it is how you grow.

When I became a district officer, I was definitely outside of my comfort zone and I wasn’t sure what to expect, until one of my advisors said to me, “Just set a good example and get to know the members, create relationships with them.” He sure knew what he was talking about. The changes may come slowly and you might not even realize it until one day, your advisor looks at you and tells you he’s proud of the leader you have become.

Anyone can become a leader. There’s no title or officer position that declares you a leader; being a leader is a choice. You choose to do the right thing, you choose to be encouraging and to put others before yourself but first, you must choose to believe in yourself. And when you do, you can have a positive impact on the lives of others. For me, my leadership journey began the day I stepped into that black pencil skirt and zipped up that blue corduroy jacket, and for that, I will be forever thankful.


Your NCD Treasurer,

Taylor Mall

Time Out

It’s the last quarter of the big football game and your team is down by a few points. You line up to start a play, and just as you are getting set your coach calls a timeout.

In another situation, there are ten seconds left in the last quarter of the basketball game. Tensions are running high and the other team leads you by one point. You have the ball and start to drive it in...just as your coach calls a timeout.

We go throughout our lives living on a perpetual schedule. That schedule includes being born, learning, growing up, becoming independent just to become dependent again a few years later until, inevitably, our time runs out. The worst part? We can’t call a timeout during our lives like we can during sports. In sports, we can yell at the refs for a break where we re-hydrate, regroup, and come up with a new game plan. In life, not so much. It’s a different type of game plan when it comes to the real world; one that takes immense preparation and pre-planning, however, we can never truly factor in everything that will happen to us in our lives because there will always be something unexpected and we can’t just yell at the world for a break. So what can we do in order to be as prepared as we can for any curve ball that life throws at us?

Essentially, this preparation comes from the knowledge and skill we gain throughout our lives, but, then there’s the question of where do we gain those skills? For many, it may be sports. For me, it’s been a huge boiling mixture of experiences and organizations with FFA settling itself in the center. There is just something otherworldly whenever I put on the blue corduroy that symbolizes so much for hundreds of thousands of people across the nation and I am so glad that I got this experience before my time runs out.

This next year will be filled with many lasts as I conclude my junior year and begin to write the final chapter to my high school career. However, with my time in high school running out, there are so many other games to be played. The applying to college game, the interviewing for jobs game, and the ultimate game of life. The difference between me and other people, though, is that I have had the experience of FFA before that time comes. So before your time is out and the opportunity is lost, experience something new whether it be a different CDE in FFA or a completely new adventure that will help you realize who you are.

The clock winds down in the biggest football game of the year, your team snaps the ball and scores that touchdown for the win.

Your basketball team puts the ball in play and you drain the game winning shot.

You get into the college of your dreams, you get the job of your dreams, and you get the life of your dreams.

All before your time runs out.

Your North Central District Secretary,

Scuyler Zenger