Prepre to compete Did you know?

Former FFA member sydney thummel works as a liason between beef producers and consumers in her role as executive director of the Missouri Beef Industry council. Thummel’s beef production sae earned her area star farmer honors when she was in high school and speaking contests helped further prepare her for her career.

her develop skills she uses every day in her career. From public speaking to organizational to time management, she says the relatability and empathy gained as a result of her exposure to other areas outside of her small, rural community did the most.

“I really learned how to work with others during my time in FFA, but more than that I learned how to be exactly who I am,” Thummel says. “There is a sense of groupthink that can sometimes develop when in organizations designed to develop our future, but FFA also provided the opportunity to see what each member excelled at as an individual and to develop those skills even further. Being a strong individual within a group of strong individuals that also know how to all work together is where true magic happens.”

Thummel’s advice to current FFA members is to get out of your comfort zone. “Just do it,” she says. “It is so much easier now, though it might not feel like it. If you become comfortable with being uncomfortable now, there are so many more fun and unique opportunities that will be available to you in the future.” very fourth week in February, FFA members from across the U.S. dedicate an entire week to celebrating the history of this great organization. Shortly after National FFA Week, CDE and LDE contest season begins, bringing a new level of diligence for practice, preparation, anticipation, and performance in competition. There is a lot of room for fun and creative ideas for FFA Week activities. National FFA Week is a time to embrace camaraderie, fellowship, and fun, but it is also a time to embrace appreciation. As members of this organization, we should always be appreciative of the countless number of opportunities and resources that FFA provides.

As she embraces her new career at MBIC, Thummel says she looks forward to continuing to support FFA in any way she can.

“It feels very full circle and one of the best ways I can give back to an organization that has done so much for me,” she says.

CDE and LDE contest season was my favorite time of the school year. Being able to participate in these competitions was always a thrill to me. There was just something about getting on a school bus at 6:30 a.m. on a cold Saturday morning that always made me excited for competition. You might be hesitant to participate in an LDE or CDE, but if you have the chance, take that opportunity, and run with it. There are so many choices that you should find an activity that you are interested in. You might even try competing in both types of competitions. You can absolutely find a contest that meets your interest or passion.

Success is something that we all desire and strive to achieve, but unfortunately, success is not handed out. For you to experience success, you must earn it. You might place first in state with a CDE or LDE. You might place last in one of these events. No matter the placing, just remember that the willingness to try to make yourself better is a success.

Appreciate the opportunities offered by the National FFA Organization. Compete to make the best YOU possible. Challenge yourself and put yourself in the position to succeed.

—By Jacob King

October. Charlie Hazelrigg, a Columbia FFA member who competed on the Agricultural Communications team, says she enjoyed learning the diverse portions of the contest while settling into her own communications strengths.

“I love graphic design, so my favorite part was creating graphics to be used throughout the media plan,” Hazelrigg says.

While the CDE includes a robust set of practicums that test a multitude of skills, Howell says the work put in to learning these services is worth it.

“This CDE is a lot of work, but it is extremely rewarding in the fact that students walk away with knowledge they will literally use for a lifetime. I love the other CDEs and feel they help students in a variety of ways with a variety of skills, but I have started encouraging more students to do Ag Communications because they learn so many skills that will help them be more well-rounded adults in the future, no matter what career they go into.”

These career skills include how to develop, assess and manage a budget, how to develop a media plan for a target audience, the ability to research accurate information, writing skills, video production, interview skills, web design and more.

Industry partners have noticed the benefits of this CDE.

“The students have to listen to a real press conference related to agriculture, take notes and ask questions,” Howell says. “They are then assigned tasks based on the press conference. Before all of this, they are tasked with creating a media plan on a given scenario. I’ve been told by several people in the industry that the media plans they create for this contest are extremely similar to what they would have to do in a real communications career.”

Students also feel the CDE sets them up for success in the industry.

“Before this CDE, I didn’t know much about the agricultural communications industry,” Hazelrigg shares. “It’s an industry that’s always growing and changing, and one that will always be here. I grew passionate about all the different pieces the industry has to offer. I think the thing I learned the most is the opportunities that are out there. There are so many vastly different opportunities in the communications industry. There is truly something for everyone.”

In addition, Howell says the Agricultural Communications CDE fits nicely into her classroom curriculum.

“I have an entire unit that is directed toward agriculture communications in my ag business, leadership and communication class. We break down the Ag Comm CDE because it is so relevant to the real world. Each student learns journalistic writing, opinion writing, web design and video production. We look at what a media plan entails and they develop a “mini” media plan. We also do a couple of editing quizzes, as they help students learn how to make proper editing marks.”

Howell encourages other chapters to jump in and try this newer CDE.

“I start training the team as soon as the new scenario comes out,” she explains. “I start by having team members brainstorm ideas for the scenario. They are then tasked with splitting up the media plan and get to writing. It is a huge task and usually takes a solid month to two months to write the media plan, so it’s important to begin early. Once the media plan is complete, we move onto focusing on their individual practicums.”