Cultivating Success: How FFA Skills Blossomed into a Powerful Asset
Harvesting the Seeds of Success in FFA
One of my most memorable experiences in high school was being a member of my school’s local FFA chapter. As a member of the FFA, I was fortunate enough to be a part of an organization that promotes cooperation among all people and develops interpersonal skills, teamwork, and confidence in its members. These valuable skills not only helped me grow as an individual, but as a professional, transferring into my current role here at Powerful.
Time Management
Time management is one of these essential skills I honed while in the FFA. Through FFA, I had the opportunity to learn valuable lessons about managing my time and cultivating a work ethic that continues to serve me well throughout my life.
This time management skill acquired from FFA has been vital in my role at Powerful. We hold a strong commitment to rigorously tracking our time to ensure that our utility partners receive the best value for the products and services we deliver. Just like the precision required in agricultural tasks, every minute in web design and support counts. Balancing priorities, meeting deadlines, and ensuring quality in our output – these were all lessons learned from the FFA. Now, they form the cornerstone of our work ethic at Powerful.
The ability to manage time effectively ensures that every second we spend translates into visible and impactful value for our community-owned utilities clients. This steadfast commitment to time management, a legacy from my FFA days, enables us to deliver our promise of robust, efficient, and effective web solutions to all our partners.
Responsibility and Achievement
One of my favorite aspects of being an FFA member were the Career Development Events (CDEs). These CDEs offered challenging yet fun opportunities to develop critical thinking and decision-making skills and encourage teamwork.
Scents of Success
I was lucky enough to be a part of a team of my peers participating in the Food Science and Technology CDE at the state level. Young FFA members from across Pennsylvania gathered at Penn State’s main campus to learn and compete in various events. We were housed in the college’s dorms and given schedules to follow for each of our particular events. Having this freedom and responsibility allowed me to develop time management skills so that I could make sure I got where I needed to go when I needed to be there.
My team was wholeheartedly dedicated to performing our best at this event. We would invest hours after school in our agricultural science classroom studying for the written exam and smelling countless vials of colorless liquids to prepare for the “sensory” portion of the event.
The attention to detail required for these preparations was invaluable, and it directly translates into my current role in tech support at Powerful. Identifying nuanced issues, finding solutions to complex problems, and developing a keen sense of attentiveness to our clients’ needs, these are akin to differentiating between subtle ‘scents’ in the world of website design and support.
Similar to how we prepared for the sensory portion, working with community-owned utilities involves understanding their unique needs, recognizing the distinct ‘scents’ of each community’s requirements. Just as we devoted hours to studying and preparing, I now dedicate my time to understanding and serving our community utilities clients better, ensuring that their online presence is as robust and effective as possible.
Teamwork, Fertile Soil for Personal Growth
Time management was not the only skill that I acquired while competing in CDEs. Teamwork plays an immense role in many aspects of the FFA, especially when participating in CDEs with your fellow peers.
Speaking with Confidence
Another CDE that helped me prepare for the future was the Creed Speaking event. In this event, each member stood up in front of a panel of judges and recited the FFA Creed from memory. As someone who grew up shy, this event played a big part in helping me overcome my fears and opened me up to the world of public speaking.
As a high schooler, I may not have seen the value of this immediately, but I now know that public speaking is a valuable skill in almost any field. Being able to speak to others with confidence helps to develop meaningful relationships. This skill is especially valuable in a role where you present ideas to others – confidence is key.
The Lasting Impact of FFA, a Powerful Testimony
I will never forget my time as a member of the FFA. The organization and the people who surrounded me made a deep impact on my life and taught me countless valuable skills. The mission of the FFA is, “FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.” and this is certainly true. I am one of many who has had a positive difference made in my life thanks to the FFA.
The leadership and personal growth cultivated through FFA now permeates my professional life at Powerful. From solving complex technical issues to proactively identifying potential website improvements, my leadership skills honed by FFA experiences allow me to take initiative and ensure that our clients’ websites are running seamlessly. The personal growth developed through FFA has empowered me to embrace challenges, adapt to changing technologies, and maintain an unwavering commitment to our clients’ success.
The lessons from agricultural education are surprisingly relevant to web design and support. The tenets of adaptability, sustainability, and efficiency in agriculture translate directly to maintaining and enhancing community-owned utilities’ web presence. And most importantly, the essence of community service and making a positive difference, fundamental to FFA’s mission, continue to drive my work at Powerful, making me a devoted asset to our clients and my team.
