Countdown to State Convention

The 37th annual Alaska FFA State Convention is quickly approaching and the excitement is building! There are so many great things planned from all the great CDE's such as Ag Mechanics and Envirothon to the awesome tours of UAF, Chena Hotsprings, Fort Knox Goldmine, Ice Museum, and Reindeer Farm. This state convention is sure to be memorable (as always) and all of us state officers are excited as the time draws nearer. In just two days the state officers and state staff will be in Fairbanks, making our final preparations for everyone's arrival.


Everyone please remember to have all your paperwork with you though! Its important that you have applications turned in, forms signed, and that you are completely prepared for all your events. Things go a lot smoother if people are prepared. You're not going to be disappointed with all the activities we have planned for you and the awesome prizes that go with the CDE's. We have some awesome special guests visiting us this year and as always we'll have our National Officer there too! We've got past national officer candidates from New York and Iowa coming and Mya and I went to the Hawaii FFA State Convention to add to the pot of ideas for this year!

Can't wait to see you all!!

Traven Apiki
2012-2013 Alaska FFA
State President

Homer FFA Chapter at Flex High School

Chapter development has been made a major priority for Alaska FFA in 2013.  The State Association has been putting a lot of energy and funding into building up struggling chapters, supporting strong chapters, and recruiting new schools and communities to join our association with new chapters.

The Homer FFA Chapter is one of Alaska FFA's oldest chapters, with its original charter dating back to over 40 years ago!  In recent years, the chapter has seen declining membership and the need for a transition in leadership and a boost in support.  Last week, Alaska FFA state staff and officers paid a visit to two local high schools in Homer: Homer Flex and Homer High.  Homer Flex School has shown a lot of interest in FFA, and our goal was to help them re-establish a chapter and keep FFA alive and strong in Homer.

Brittany and I visited Flex on March 29th with our advisor, Amy Harmon, and our alumni coordinator, Hannah Harrison.  We were met  by some amazing and very friendly students who graciously showed us around their school. Homer Flex is an alternative high school, and we were impressed by their awesom wood shop, ceramics studio, and independent learning atmosphere.   We were invited  to present to the underclassmen science classes and we were impressed by how quickly the students jumped on board after we all explained what FFA was and all the amazing things they could gain from joining. In the first class alone, over half the students put their name on a roster of interested members. Many of them had great questions, and we discussed the time commitments of FFA, how they as students leaders direct the business of the chapter, and how it was a great chance to put their leadership skills to the test while also progressing their agricultural and natural resource education.

The next class we presented to asked even more questions and the interest was evident on their faces. Most of the class quickly put their name on the roster and they all decided when their first meeting time would be, today April 5 at 9:30. At this meeting they elected chapter officers and also decided on their next meeting, so that they could put together a POA, or program of activities. Brittany and I will be around to help kick-start the chapter and provide any support they might need, whether it be for the students or the new advisor, Mr. Jeff Szarzi.

Alaska FFA is very excited to see Homer Flex FFA off the ground and running!

By Traven Apiki, Alaska FFA State President 2012-2013

Kodiak Takeoff

Kodiak is ON TOP OF THINGS!!! Darien and I were amazed when we traveled to Kodiak for their annual takeoff. The Kodiak Chapter was really impressive, all the classes we presented in seemed to have a blast and enjoy having something new in their class. We were able to present in numerous classes ranging from a survival class to natural resources. Due to the fact that the chapter was so on top of things, Darien and I had to change our schedule for takeoff. Instead of the normal workshops we focused mainly on team building and recruitment. We had a lot of individuals not associated with FFA show up and find out what was going on. We all had a blast, had an amazing pool party and played a lot of different games long into the nights. A lot of the members and I ended up pulling an all nighter and in the morning had an awesome breakfast of pizza!! I'm excited to see all of Kodiak at convention and I hope you guys bring some new members!!!

Hawaii FFA State Convention

Hawaii was an amazing opportunity to broaden our horizons concerning other association’s state conventions. We had a blast and were able to take part in an extremely fun state convention down in Hawaii. The Hawaii FFA Association has around 300 members with about 100 of them attending the state convention. Chapters from four different islands came together on the Big Island for the convention in Hilo. For two and a half days, state convention activities took place all over the University of Hawaii at Hilo, activities that allowed the students to have a blast, learn all about FFA, and think about their future. We were also able to work with the state officers a lot, especially with their retiring addresses. We had a great time with all of the state officers and quickly bonded. Traven was able to meet a great friend that he will be going to college with next year while Mya was able to meet an awesome visiting state officer candidate from Idaho. We both learned a lot of stuff to incorporate into our own state convention, a favorite of Mya's was a game called Gimmie Gimmie. This game got members up and moving and a lot of the Hawaii FFA members got into the game. There was a lot of activity both before and after the state convention as well. We were able to tour half of the big island with the Pahoa chapter, a chapter native to the island and on the tour we were able to tour the Mauna Loa macadamia nut plant, see a sea turtle, and visit an amazing candy store. On another outing, we were able to visit a black sand beach and we saw a turtle get flipped on its back on the reef. It was unable to escape and so a lady went out to try and rescue it but the turtle was too heavy and wedged in the rocks. Traven went out to help and with their combined effort, they were able to save the sea turtle.  Overall, everything in Hawaii was a blast and we are so glad we were able to attend.

Mya & Traven

I'm your 2012-2013 Alaska FFA State Officer Brittany Jones.

I was born in Homer Alaska and am the youngest of 5 Jones's. My older sister Jessica was in FFA when she was in school and passed that onto Wendy who was a State Officer last year. This year as State Officer has been challenging but I wouldn't have wanted to do anything else. I am privileged to say that I helped this State, that I have contributed to an Association which I love. But that is not the only way I furthered FFA, being a member is the stepping stone that led me to be in this office today. So Thank You to all the members and Alumni who have inspired me to be where I today. 

This wonderful weekend we are in the beautiful, and still a little chilly, Fairbanks! We are planning our State Convention, which will be held in April 24-27. If you have more questions contact your local FFA advisor! We have a lot of exciting events planned and hope to see a lot of new faces this year. Don't forget that the State Officers have a long standing bet on you can remember the most names. Follow us on Facebook: Alaska FFA Association.

Darien Cooke
State Reporter

Hey everyone! I hope it is going wonderful for all of you! Soon we will be going to our state planning meeting, and THEN we have STATE CONVENTION! I am so excited. It has truly been a wonderful experience getting to know all of the wonderful people in FFA. If you didn't know already, we have a Alaska FFA facebook page, and we would love it if you checked it out!

Have a super fantastic awesome day!

Darien Cooke
State Reporter

FFA After High School

Hey Hey FFA!

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Corinne Ogle. I was the Alaska FFA State President in 2009-2010, which was also my senior year of high school, so I'm kind of a has-been. That being said, I've managed after all this time to still be involved in the FFA. I'd like to share with you my story and how, after high school, YOU can choose to still be a part of the FFA.

2009-2010 Alaska FFA State Officer Team

You face a big choice when you graduate high school in whether you want to be involved in FFA still. Of my state officer team, I am the only one still involved with FFA. There is nothing wrong with deciding that you want to move on and try something new. There are only so many hours in the day and you have to decide how you want to spend those hours. I did decide, though, that FFA was important not only to my life, but to the lives of those still in FFA and I wanted to give back and continue to be a part of the FFA. These are the avenues I chose:

Alaska FFA Alumni: This one is easy! You pay your dues (either yearly or lifetime) and then you are technically a member of the Alaska FFA Alumni. Your dues go toward Alaska FFA members - in other words, you make a financial contribution to the Alaska FFA Association that makes a difference in the lives of members. That's pretty awesome! Now, you can stop at paying dues, or you can keep going! You can donate money to pay for a member to go to state convention, to get their very own FFA jacket through the essay contest, and many more things! If you stay in Alaska after high school, you can help out at state convention as a judge, as a volunteer, and in many other ways! The avenue of Alaska FFA Alumni allows you to be as involved as you want to, from just paying your dues to volunteering your time. If you would like to further explore the option of becoming an Alaska FFA Alumni member, contact Hannah Harrison at ak.ffa.alum@gmail.com.

Alaska FFA State Staff and Alumni Develop Alaska FFA State Officers

National FFA Alumni: This one is easy as well. You pay your dues and then you are technically a member of the National FFA Alumni. Did you know that once Alaska FFA reaches a certain number of National FFA Alumni, then National FFA will pay for an FFA member from Alaska to go to a leadership conference in Washington, D.C. called the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC)? How cool is that?!

Collegiate FFA Member: This one is a little trickier than becoming an alumni only because this is only offered at certain colleges. I was fortunate enough that Cornell University has a very strong Collegiate FFA. Through Collegiate FFA, you help run events, conferences, state convention, and leadership workshops for FFA members of that state. You also have the option to compete in collegiate activities at the National FFA Convention. I'm sure that each Collegiate FFA chapter is different and their involvement and the opportunities they provide may vary, but I would highly recommend checking it out if the college you go to has a Collegiate FFA. It has helped me find many new friends and mentors as well as helped me grow as an individual.

 Collegiate FFA Members Volunteering at a Leadership Conference

Alaska FFA National Officer Candidate: This is a phenomenal opportunity that only one individual from the Alaska FFA can hold each year. Typically a National Officer Candidate has been a state officer in the past, but this is not a requirement. I'm not going to lie, it's a very honorable position to hold, but it is a rigorous one. Each state, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico can send a National Officer Candidate, with a possible of 52 candidates, all competing for only 6 National Officer positions. As the Alaska FFA National Officer Candidate, you have to have dedication and be willing to work hard. You have to want to serve as a National Officer, meaning taking a year off and traveling the United States to visit FFA members and sponsors. It's an experience of a life time that, if you're interested, you should definitely strive for. While the inputs are large, the outputs are incomparable. You make lifelong friends from across the country, develop your speaking and interviewing ability, and overall grow as a person. I was fortunate enough to hold the position as the Alaska FFA National Officer Candidate in 2012, and it was the best experience of my life. I would highly encourage you all to consider and strive to this position.

2012 Alaska FFA National Officer Candidate

The choice is yours!

- Corinne Ogle, Alaska FFA Alumni

Almost There

    "The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live." -Flora Whittemore

Twelve months have passed now since I put all of my official documents and my essay about why I wanted to serve as an Alaska State FFA Officer in the mail to our state staff. Nearly four years after I stepped through a doorway and into an organization I had never heard of, I was making my dream a reality. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that I wouldn't serve the 200 members of the Alaska FFA and represent many more FFA members across the country.

There is now only a little over a month until I give my retiring address as the 2011-2012 Alaska FFA Vice President. It's a feeling of excitement and anticipation, but scariness as well. This year, I won't be sitting in the chairs facing the stage in my Fairbanks FFA jacket. I won't be watching the State Officers lead us through sessions and CDE's.....instead, I will be on that stage, leading the members. Instead, THEY will be watching ME.

It's a scary thought to think that so much time has passed and that so much has been accomplished. Although I am running again for Alaska FFA State Office, this year is coming to an end and there will never be another like it. I am proud of the state I serve and the members who make it possible.

Thank you Alaska FFA!

Rayna Nelson
"Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever." -Keri Russell

Stop and Smell the Flowers

As the final chapter visits are coming closer and the National FFA Convention has ended, there's time to breathe. Earlier this year, I found myself wondering if I would survive the coming school year working 2 jobs, going to school, playing in the youth symphony, and doing FFA and student council.  I'll be the first to admit it was too much. All of these activities and I even gave up varsity volleyball.....it was tough. Doing all these activities is all I've known. I've always been involved. I've always wanted to do more....but there's just not enough hours in a day or days in a week. To put it simply, I was pushing my own limits too far.

You see, it's my theory that in today's society, teens are pushed and pushed to get involved because it looks good on applications, because it gives us more experiences, or because it will keep us out of trouble. When we get too involved though...it's only asking for trouble. I think our society needs to start letting kids breathe a little; let's teach our generation the importance of stopping to smell the flowers.

As a senior in high school i'm beginning to see why so many who have graduated before me were so stressed out. The final grades. The college applications. The costs. The graduation requirements. And the question most of us fear...what am I going to do with my life?

Although a few people have told me I don't need to know yet, it feels as if it's not being enforced enough to all the seniors. Having found myself in a panic because I found I don't want to be a nurse anymore after looking at colleges all over the US based on their nursing programs, the phrase, "Stop and smell the flowers," has become my best friend.

So, now you see, stopping to smell the flowers isn't  always a bad thing. We need to slow down. we may just find ourselves to far ahead of what we planned for. For me, I'm taking a year off of school to focus souly on FFA. Maybe a class for fun, but defnitely not full time. That's my way of taking a step back to enjoy the coming adventures. What will you do?

Sincerely,
Rayna Nelson
Alaska FFA Vice President

FFA = Awesome

My name is Darien Cooke, I am from Palmer Alaska and I am the State President for Alaska FFA. You know, I have always hated speaking in front of groups. Small or large it always made me so nervous that my chest would constrict and my face would get beet red. The problem is, I LOVE to talk in front of people. I find that most problems that we have can be fixed if we talk about it. I find the best way to make people happy, relaxed, excited, is to talk. Now, I don't know why I have a fear of public speaking even though I love to speak in front of people. I love the feeling that you get when you know people are actually listening to what you have to say and not shrugging it off. Ok, this far into this paragraph you are probably thinking, " OK Darien, WE GET IT, cut to the chase" Well. The chase is. FFA has helped me tackle my fear of public speaking,  it hasn't completely gotten rid of it, but FFA has helped a ton to make me feel a little more relaxed doing it. The beauty of why I am sharing this is, this can happen to you with FFA. If you have a fear, I can guarantee that the FFA members will help you through it, just like me and my speaking. I love FFA for this, they have given me a gift I didn't know I had.So please, if you read this you are probably laughing a little, but you are also probably a little curious. Am I right? Or am I right? The world is ready for our generation to help it rise up and regain stability. It is waiting for us.This. Is. Gonna be fun. You ready? Lets rock.

P.S
By the way, or I guess BTW, You, yes, you who is reading this, you are awesome. Remember that. On a different note, how would you say BTW, Be Te Dubb? Oh, I guess like that.

Alright Data, beam me up

Darien

Your 2011-2012 Alaska FFA State Vice President is....

Rayna Nelson! I still remember that moment our state advisor said my name at the awards banquet at the 35th annual Alaska FFA State Convention in Kodiak, Alaska. It was the moment I had been waiting for since my freshamn year in FFA. It was like a dream come true.

So, who am I? I am a senior at a small career technical school in Fairbanks, Alaska where I am the Student Body President. I have been in FFA for almost 5 yearsand it has shaped me to be the person I am, but I'm sure the rest of our team could say that too. I play viola for the Fairbanks Youth Symphony, this will be my sixth year. I switched from the violin to viola Christmas of my freshman year and taught myself the new music notes. In all, I have played violin/viola for about 10 years. I love sports like volleyball and soccer and I love to run. As a student said today, "Some call it stretching myself thin, I call it being involved."

So far this year as a state officer I have traveled to places as far as Washington D.C. to represent Alaska with our President Darien Cooke along with 98 other state officers from across the US. We talked with  Senator Lisa Murkowski as well as Senator Mark Begich and Congressman Don Young. we gaave input to the United States Farm Bill and had the opportunity to talk with the Secretary of the US Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. The metro system in D.C. was another story in itself! We figured the metro out by the time we got to the airport to leave for home, but it was an exciting experience.

As a team, we have had BLAST Off and a new training we called State Officer Training Camp 2011. Both leadership development trainings have taught us many valuable skills and I am super excited for the coming year. Before I became a state officer this year, I had dreams of doing these great chapter visits and making kids feel like FFA was the thing to do. And of course it is!

So far this year, I've learned that a person can only do so much before it's too much. I've learned to meet deadlines even better than before. I've learned that working in a team isn't always perfect, but we just have to get through the struggles and celebrate the accomplishments. People come from all different life styles and it takes patience, understanding, and thoughfulness to work with all different types of people.

I'm excited to see what the year has in store and to meet some amazing people!