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| The FFA jacket that Matt will wear during his candidacy |
At the end of June the Pennsylvania FFA Association held their 84th State Convention on the campus of Penn State University. It was there that I received the honor of representing Pennsylvania FFA as the 2013 National Officer Candidate. What exactly is a National Officer Candidate? Every state has the opportunity to send one person each year to the National FFA Convention to run for a position on the National FFA Officer team. Each candidate must go through an intense interview process which includes personal interviews, writing exercises, stand and deliver speeches, among other tasks. At the end of the interview process, SIX candidates are chosen to represent the National FFA Organization for the next year.
[To Learn more about the National FFA Officer Selection Process, visit: https://www.ffa.org/FFAResources/NOSelection/Pages/default.aspx ]
Until October, I will be
spending plenty of time preparing for the process. I will be going through practice interviews,
meeting with business and industry leaders, and learning as much FFA knowledge
as I possibly can. In fact, from July
17th to the 21st I traveled to Green Bay, Wisconsin to attend the FFA Alumni
Development Conference getting to know some awesome FFA Alumni members and
gaining skills to better advocate for the FFA Organization.
So the big question is
WHY do I want to become a National Officer…this is a question that a person
should ask themselves when making any decision or pursuing any dream they may
have. To me being a National FFA Officer
is an opportunity to serve. This is
something that is at the center of my passions and life principles. Let me paint a picture of what this looks
like and why it is so important. One
weekend I helped to chaperone our youth group's trip to Baltimore, Maryland to
attend a Christian conference. After
attending one of the evening sessions, a youth whose name is Cesar had with
him some leftovers from his meal that night.
While we were walking, he noticed that there was a homeless man sitting
along the sidewalk not too far ahead.
Realizing that the man needed those leftovers more than he did, Cesar
went up to the man and offered him the food.
Immediately the man rejected his offer.
Disappointed Cesar walked away wondering why the man had not accepted
the gift. This young man had what I call
a heart of service; meaning that when he sees someone in need he does what he
can to help out in a loving way. It did
not matter that his act of service was rejected; the important thing is that it
was offered. Too often, we forget what
service means.
In the FFA
Organization, our motto states in the last line, "Living to
Serve". My heart of service is in
representing FFA members and doing my best to provide them with quality
opportunities to improve their lives and their future. As we look to the future we face many
challenges. These young people need as
much encouragement, support and mentorship as we can realistically provide
them. I strongly believe that each one
of us has the opportunity and ability to make a difference. Our heart of service determines where we make
that difference. So why do I desire to
serve as a National FFA Officer? My
heart of service goes out to helping these young people strive to be the best
they can be. I believe in mentoring and
supporting the future leaders of tomorrow...FFA members!
To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog!
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| Alumni Development Conference- Matt travels to various events as a NOC |
Matthew Dodson
Guest Blogger
2013 Pennsylvania National
Officer Candidate
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