Knowledge For College Katie Snider believes FFA is singing her song 7 tips for calming job interview jitters Your life-after-high-school questions, answered More Than a MELODY Create a profile. Add friends. Start a group. Voice your opinions. NEW HORIZONS THE MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL FFA ORGANIZATION | August 2009 LOG ON AT FFANEWHORIZONS.ORG FFA FFA u gu st st st t 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 ®
FFA New Horizons is an official publication of the National FFA Organization. The National FFA Organization is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, person growth and career success through agricultural education.
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Knowledge For College
Katie Snider believes FFA is singing her song7tips for calming
job interview jitters
Your life-after-high-school questions, answered
More Than aMELODY
Create a profi le. Add friends. Start a group. Voice your opinions.
NEW HORIZONST H E M A G A Z I N E O F T H E N A T I O N A L F F A O R G A N I Z A T I O N | A u g u s t 2 0 0 9
L O G O N AT F FA N E W H O R I Z O N S . O R GFFAFFAu g uggg s ts ts tt 22222222 2222222222222 0
®
2 FFA NEW HORIZONS FFANEWHORIZONS.ORG
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Marissa Turnbull,
Crater FFA, Ore.
Go online to submit your FFA experiences.
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On the CoverKatie Snider, Gleason, Tenn.Photo By J. Kyle Keener
8 cover storyMore Than a MelodyKatie Snider believes FFA is singing her song.
Knowledge For CollegeYour life-after-high-school questions, answered.
12
4 ScrapbookRead news, jokes and more.
6 FFA FacesLearn about members’ achievements.
11 What’s HotApplaud FFA members doing good deeds.
16 National Officer Q & AMeet Vice President Regina Holliday.
17 Your MoneyAdd up the ways you can finance college.
18 How To …Ace a job or college interview.
20 Back TalkAdvocate for agriculture with Michele Payn-Knoper.
JULIE WOODARD Editorial Director KIM NEWSOM Managing Editor JOYCE CARUTHERS Copy Editor JESSY YANCEY Associate Editor ANDREA BLOOM, CHRIS HAYHURST, JESSICA MOZO, KAREN SCHWARTZMAN Contributing Writers KEITH HARRIS Creative Director BRIAN McCORD Senior Photographer JEFF ADKINS, TODD BENNETT, Staff Photographers ANTONY BOSHIER, IAN CURCIO, J. KYLE KEENER BRIAN SMITH Web Development Director CHRISTINA CARDEN Associate Production Director MELISSA HOOVER, Production Project Managers KATIE MIDDENDORF, JILL WYATT LAURA GALLAGHER, CANDICE SWEET, Senior Graphic Designers VIKKI WILLIAMS ERICA HINES, AMY NELSON Graphic Designers MARCIA MILLAR, PATRICIA MOISAN, Ad Traffic RAVEN PETTY GARY SMITH Distribution Director YANCEY TURTURICE Information Technology Director FRANCO SCARAMUZZA Web Design Director ANDY HARTLEY, YAMEL RUIZ Web Project Managers CARL SCHULZ Web Design JENNIFER GRAVES Web Production TWILA ALLEN Color Imaging Technician KRISTY MEYER, AMBER STRIEGEL FFA Communications RAY LANGEN Executive Vice President CARLA H. THURMAN Sr. V.P./Sales CASEY E. HESTER Sr. V.P./Operations MARK FORESTER V.P./Visual Content TEREE CARUTHERS V.P./Editorial Director NATASHA LORENS Production Director JEFFREY S. OTTO Photography Director BETH MURPHY Advertising Sales Manager, Custom Division RACHEL MATHEIS Sales/Marketing Coordinator
For advertising information, contact Beth Murphy, (800) 333-8842, ext. 251, or e-mail [email protected].
2008-09 National FFA Officers PAUL MOYA, NM President NESSIE EARLY, CA Secretary HANNAH CROSSEN, OH Eastern Region Vice President LAILA HAJJI, OK Central Region Vice President REGINA HOLLIDAY, GA Southern Region Vice President RILEY BRANCH, TX Western Region Vice President
National FFA Staff LARRY CASE National Advisor, Chief Executive Officer STEVE BROWN Executive Secretary BILL FLEET Acting Chief Operating Officer MARION FLETCHER National Treasurer JULIE ADAMS, MARK CAVELL, Division Directors DALE CRABTREE, TOM KAPOSTASY, JANET MALONEY, DENNIS SARGENT, KENT SCHESCKE, VICKI SETTLE, LEE ANNE SHILLER, TONY SMALL, BILL STAGG, WILL WAIDELICH
National FFA Board of Directors – Members LARRY CASE Chair, USDE, VA STEVE BROWN Secretary, USDE, VA MARION FLETCHER Treasurer, State Supervisor, AR JAMES BARBEE State Superviser, NV ROBERT B. CALVIN Agriculture Teacher/USDE, MO WILBUR CHANCELLOR State Supervisor, MS BRUCE LAZARUS FFA Executive Secretary/USDE, AR JOEL LARSEN State Supervisor, MN KURT LUCAS State FFA Advisor, KY JOHN RAKESTRAW Business Representative/USDE, CO
Subscription Information:FFA New Horizons (ISSN 1069-806X) is published Feb., April, June, Aug., Oct. and Dec. by the National FFA Organization, 6060 FFA Drive, Indianapolis, IN46268-0960. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, art or any other unsolicited materials. For subscription information contact: FFA New Horizons Subscription Services, (317) 802-4235 or e-mail [email protected]. Periodical postage rate is paid at Indianapolis, Ind., and additional mail offices.
Postmaster: Please send address changes to FFA New Horizons, P.O. Box 68960, Indianapolis, IN 46268-0960.
The National FFA Organization is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.
Please recycle this magazine
NEW HORIZONSNEW HORIZONSFFAFFAThe magazine of the National FFA Organization
®
Volume 55 Number 6
3FFA NEW HORIZONSFFANEWHORIZONS.ORG
august 2009 Contents
Fascinated by FrogsEver heard of the Chiricahua Leopard
and Ramsey Canyon Leopard frogs? Both
are endangered frog species, and six
high-school students from the Arizona
Agribusiness and Equine Center in
Phoenix know all about them.
In partnership with the Phoenix Zoo,
these FFA members developed a DNA marker
system to study the genetics of these
frogs. The group recently presented its
findings at the International Conference
of Plant and Animal Genome Research
in San Diego, Calif.
Congratulations to Gabrielle Delmer,
Amanda Fish, Jessica Gaines, Taylor
Lasley, Taylor Ortiz, Colin Pressler and
their instructor, Dr. Michael Brown!
Why did the kid goat think his parents were made of money? Because he heard them being called “buck” and “doe.”
Samuel IvanovichSpotsylvania, Va.
Why was the piglet in trouble?Because he had a snout-y attitude.
Seth GoodRolla, N.D.
Happy CampersOne of the best FFA experiences
for many members is a trip
to their state summer FFA
camp. Playing sports,
participating in
leadership training,
engaging in friendly
competitions, and
making new friends
definitely makes for
a great summer.
We want to know
how many of you
attended camp
this summer. Log
on to FFA Nation
(ffanation.ffa.org)
and share your
photos, talk about it
on the Discussions
forum and maybe
even reconnect with
summer FFA camp
friends!
Just Joking
ffanewhorizons.orgffanewhorizons.org
Send us your best jokes through our Online Feedback Form.
in 1969, women were granted full membership into the National FFA Organization, then called the Future Farmers of America. This year, we celebrate 40 years since that historic event and how far we’ve come. Today, 41 percent of FFA members across the countRy are female.
A Monumental EffortHave you ever seen a replica of the FFA
emblem that stands more than 6 feet tall
and weighs 3,700 pounds? The FFA members
at Los Fresnos High School in Texas have;
they have spent the last two years garnering
support for its placement at their school.
The monument, known as the Ton of Pride,
is etched in a bronze patina lithachrome
monument finish and is one of only five in
Texas and the only one south of San Antonio.
A special ceremony was held to unveil and
dedicate the monument.
Riding FFA StyleIn honor of FFA and inspired by
the “American Chopper” TV show, the
Kewaunee FFA chapter of Wisconsin now
has its own set of wheels. Kewaunee’s
FFA chopper is a product of alumni and
community donations, a dedicated advisor,
and two years of hard work from more
than 20 students. FFA symbols and colors
are incorporated into every element of the
bike’s design, and even the seat is covered
with an FFA jacket. The chopper has been
shown at the Wisconsin
FFA convention and
the National FFA
Alumni auction
during the
2008
National
FFA
Convention.
5FFA NEW HORIZONSFFANEWHORIZONS.ORG
Win a Chevrolet T-shirtChevrolet, the sponsor of FFA Faces, will award a T-shirt to featured members.
Nominate yourself by following the steps below. Questions? E-mail [email protected].
NE
KY
OK IA
OH
Through her SAE in specialty animal production, this college
freshman owns, breeds and shows 20 dairy goats. For her efforts,
Sarah placed third in the state for her proficiency and was named
FFA Star Chapter Farmer. She served as chapter president and the
district FFA reporter. Sarah plans to attend college and major in
agricultural education or political science.
Sarah PiperChapter: Big Walnut FFA
Mitch, a college freshman, first joined FFA to develop his showman
skills and began exhibiting hogs at the county fair. He also worked
part time on local veal calf and dairy farms. He earned his
Greenhand FFA Degree and was named his chapter’s outstanding
sophomore. In addition to FFA, Mitch was a member of his school’s
football, basketball and baseball teams.
Mitch McCafferyChapter: Johnson Creek FFA
This high school junior competed in the FFA Creed speaking and
horse evaluation CDEs. With her strong leadership skills, Feron
served as chapter secretary and was named her chapter’s Star
Greenhand. She manages her herd of show cattle through her beef
production entrepreneurship SAE and plans to pursue a career
as a veterinarian.
Feron LeonardChapter: Lamoni FFA
This high school senior was a state proficiency winner for her SAE
in vegetable production. She owns a two-acre patch of sweet corn
and sells her crop locally. She also competed in the agricultural
sales and food science CDEs, earned her Chapter FFA Degree and
served as chapter secretary. She plans to attend the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln to major in business.
Chaney BlackChapter: West Boyd FFA
A high school junior, Courtney has developed solid entrepreneurial
supervised agricultural experience (SAE) programs in vegetable
production and diversified livestock production by raising
tomatoes, market lambs, goats, pigs and Shorthorn cattle. She
was named the top swine exhibitor at the state fair for two years
and also served as chapter treasurer.
Courtney TarvinChapter: Bracken County FFA
Justin, a high school senior, exhibits pigs and horses at local fairs.
He also placed first in his county in the livestock evaluation
career development event (CDE). Justin has served as chapter
historian and treasurer, plays baseball and is a volunteer fireman.
He plans to attend Oklahoma State University and wants to start
his own heating and refrigeration business.
Justin ShaverChapter: Sox FFA
– Andrea Bloom
KY
OK IA
Mitch, a college freshman, first joined FFA to develop his showman
skills and began exhibiting hogs at the county fair. He also worked
part time on local veal calf and dairy farms. He earned his
Mitch McCafferyafferyChapter: Johnson Creek FFAreek FFA
This high school junior competed in the FFA Creed speaking and
horse evaluation CDEs. With her strong leadership skills, Feron
served as chapter secretary and was named her chapter’s Star
Greenhand. She manages her herd of show cattle through her beef
production entrepreneurship SAE and plans to pursue a career
as a veterinarian.
Feron LeonardnardChapter: Lamoni FFAFA
olid entrepreneurial
grams in vegetable
uction by raising
orses at local fairs.
vestock evaluation
served as chapter
volunteer fireman.
and wants to start
n business.
Create Describe NominateGo to ffanation.ffa.org and sign
up for an FFA Nation profile.Upload a profile photo and fill out the fields to tell us about
your FFA experiences.
Under the FFA Faces thread on the Discussions page, tell us why you should be featured.
WI
6 FFA NEW HORIZONS FFANEWHORIZONS.ORG
FFA Faces
Cover Story
We’ve long known that FFA members are about more than just “cows, sows and plows.” You are selfless, motivated, and most of all, unique.
Over the next six issues, we’ll be highlighting FFA members who embody what today’s FFA is all about. You’ll meet athletes, volunteers, an artist and more.
But first, meet Katie, a talented singer-songwriter from Gleason, Tenn.
Katie is FFA. Are you?
Katie Snider believes FFA is singing her song
MelodyMore Than a
Story by Chris Hayhurst
For those in the audience, the National
FFA Talent Revue held each year during
the national FFA convention is a chance
to get up, clap your hands and dance. For
those members who perform – like Katie Snider,
who earned a spot onstage in 2007 – it’s a
chance of a lifetime. And it’s no slam dunk.
Katie, a recent high school graduate
from the Gleason FFA Chapter in Tennessee,
recalls the moment clearly.
“I was so nervous,” she recalls. “It was
the entire convention, the whole shebang. I’d
never played in front of that many people. I
just kind of looked out at the crowd, and all I
could see was this ocean of national blue and
corn gold.”
Fortunately for Katie, a gifted pianist
and composer, she knew what she was doing.
Blinded by the lights but buoyed by the cheers
from the crowd, she took her portable keyboard
and began to play.
The song? “Great Balls of Fire” – the rock
’n’ roll hit made famous by Jerry Lee Lewis in
the 1950s. And the verdict? By all accounts,
she rocked the house.
“It was so much fun,” Katie says. “I’ll never
forget it.”
It could be said that Katie’s performance
was destiny.
Thirty years earlier, her dad, Mike, who is
now a well-known professional banjo player,
also performed at the national FFA convention.
Back then he was an officer in Gleason FFA,
another honor he shares with his daughter,
who also served as a chapter officer.
Later, as he raised his family in the same
town he grew up in, he made sure his kids
were always surrounded by music.
“Growing up in a household where there’s
music going on all the time, I was just naturally
drawn to it,” Katie says. “I was curious about
it, so I wanted to learn to play as well. I guess,
Tennessee FFA member Katie Snider performs during the 2007 National FFA convention.
8 FFA NEW HORIZONS FFANEWHORIZONS.ORG
9FFA NEW HORIZONSFFANEWHORIZONS.ORG
Cover Story
maybe, I just wanted to be like my dad.
He was really an inspiration for me.”
Katie had friends who were taking
piano lessons, so she did the same.
“I loved it right from the start,”
she says. “I loved taking piano, and
I loved playing and practicing.”
Today, Katie says, after 10 years of
lessons, music has become her passion.
“I listen to all types of music, and
I’ll play anything,” says Katie, who
has performed everywhere from the
Tennessee FFA convention to a senior
citizens’ Christmas luncheon at school.
During her freshman year, Katie
even took part in a program that used
music to build self-esteem in young
children. There was no piano at the
school, so she improvised.
“I brought in a little roll-up key-
board I got for Christmas one year,
and I used it with the first graders,”
she explains. “It was so interesting
to see how they responded. I had them
all get up in a line, and they all got
to play on it.”
Even the shyest kids in the class
came up to the front and gave the
keyboard a try, Katie recalls.
“Their faces would light up, and
you could tell it meant a whole lot to
them. It was beautiful,” she says.
Music, as Katie explains, is her
outlet in life.
“If I’m upset or sad, or if I just
want to play a song, it kind of transports
Katie learned to play the guitar four years ago, and it quickly became a passion for her. She now writes her own songs and continues to hone her talent.
Are you a musical FFA member? Join FFA Nation to connect with other members like you on the Discussions page. You can also upload photos of your favorite musical performances to the Photo Gallery.
me into whatever state of mind I want
to be in,” she says. “It gives me tran-
quility. I think it’s really neat how
something so simple can do that.”
Simply put, Katie is really good
on the piano. She’s so good, in fact,
that not long ago she won an
International Piano Guild Superior
Composer Award.
But the piano isn’t the only thing
Katie excels at. She also plays guitar
and sings, and Katie enjoys composing
her own music and lyrics.
She’s won state and national public
speaking awards, and she’s competed
in everything from livestock judging
to parliamentary procedure. Katie’s
classmates elected her Miss Gleason
High School and homecoming queen.
This summer, Katie began college
at the University of Tennessee at
Martin on a music scholarship.
Katie says she’s excited about
college, though she’s not yet sure
what major she will choose. It may be
music, it may be creative writing
(which she also loves), or it may be
something else altogether.
“I’m just going to take life as it
comes, one step at a time. I do know
that music will definitely have a
part in whatever it is I do,” she says.
“I want music to always be a big part
of my life. I’m not sure how I’ll use it
or where it will lead me, but it will
always be there in one way or another.”
10 FFA NEW HORIZONS FFANEWHORIZONS.ORG
Twist of FateIn 2007, Dakota Hoben and some
friends from the Louisa-Muscatine
High School in Iowa were enjoying a
hot summer day when a tornado blew
through their community, causing
damage everywhere. A particular home
caught their attention, since they knew
its resident was in her 90s and likely
inside. She was, and the boys pulled her
to safety and provided basic first aid
until help arrived.
While many people call Dakota and
his friends heroes, they remain humble.
“I feel I could count on every FFA
member from across this country to
respond in a similar fashion, with
a similar attitude,” Dakota says.
A Pet ProjectAs part of their National FFA Week celebration, East Lincoln
FFA members from Denver, N.C., sponsored a pet supply drive.
The students collected more than 200 items from their high
school classmates, including chew toys, bowls, cat litter, pet
food and more. They donated the items to the Humane Society
of Lincoln County and The Animal League of Gaston County.
According to FFA advisor Shane Norris, the members
recognized that these groups needed their help more than
ever during the economic downturn, when the number of
abandoned pets skyrockets.
“When families are displaced and move to
alternative housing, they usually have
no room or are not allowed to have
pets,” Norris explains.
11FFA NEW HORIZONSFFANEWHORIZONS.ORG
Cool stuff to know FFA What's hot
12 FFA NEW HORIZONS FFANEWHORIZONS.ORG
college affords FFA members a unique opportunity to interact with other students, in addition to providing a quality education.
Q
Q
Nervous, scared, intimidated, anxious.
That’s how many of you say you feel
about life after high school. The good
news is, you’re not alone.
Many middle- and high-school students
find themselves with more questions than
answers when it comes to college. After all,
it’s one of the most important decisions you’ll
ever make and, for many of you, the first you’ll
make as an “adult.”
So, for this year’s annual college feature,
we turned to you.
We asked our FFA Facebook friends and
FFA Nation users to submit questions about
college. And for the answers, we called upon
college experts – admissions directors,
professors, current college students and
even your National FFA Collegiate Ambassadors.
Read on for a great variety of college
information, from information on housing
to how you can continue your FFA involvement.
How hard is the transfer from studying in high school to studying in college?
“Most students tell me they don’t have to
study in high school to do well, so there is
definitely a transition when entering college.
In college, students are expected to spend three
hours studying outside of class for each credit
hour. So as an example, a three-hour class would
equal to at least nine hours of study time.”
Christy Watkins
Recruitment Coordinator,
Murray State University, Murray, Ky.
“College is all about time management.
You are away from home, with no one to tell
you when to study, how much to study or when
to go to bed. It is up to you to make sure that
you get everything done. I suggest making
a weekly checklist for all the assignments
due, things you need to read and things you
need to study. Get a planner if it will help.”
Erin Crumbley
Freshman, New Mexico State University,
Las Cruces, N.M.
How is my roommate chosen? “With most on-campus housing, you have
the opportunity to choose your own roommate.
If you decide not to, you are usually randomly
assigned to a student who has similar interests
as you. A word of advice: Be bold and let your
roommate be randomly assigned. You can gain
lifelong friendships and meet more people
that way.”
Mike Ockerhausen
Junior, University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo.
Your life-after-high-school
questions, ANSWERED
Story by Kim NewsomPhotography by Jeffery S. Otto
CollegeKnowledge For
FYIOUR CONTRIBUTORS
Thanks to these
FFA members who
contributed college
questions for this article:
• Ame Steele,
Northwestern
Regional FFA, Conn.
• Shyann Krumrey,
Buffalo Lake-Hector
FFA, Minn.
• Jon Wilber, Scott
County FFA, Ky.
• Leah Schill,
Crothersville FFA, Ind.
• Ross Newton, Hoosier
Hills FFA, Ind.
• Kolin Schmidt, Central
City FFA, Iowa
• Benjamin Trampe, SEM
FFA, Neb.
13FFA NEW HORIZONSFFANEWHORIZONS.ORG
QQ
Q
Q
Why is college so expensive?
“The better question is, “How can
I make my college education worth the
investment?” And, college is an invest-
ment – one that will pay off throughout
your lifetime, since your salary will
be greatly higher than someone with
only a high-school diploma.”
Ina Agnew
Vice President, Enrollment
Management, Oklahoma State
University Institute of
Technology, Okmulgee, Okla.
What should I do to remain sane the first few months and not miss everybody?