MollyWaite

Period6
Mr.Long
AppreciationPaper

WhenIwasaskedthequestion,Whodoyouappreciatethemostfromyourhighschool
experience?,Icouldntgiveadefiniteanswerofwho.Iveponderedthequestionandcameto
theconclusionitisnotwhoIappreciatemost,itiswhatIappreciatemost,andthatistheFFA.
ThroughoutmyhighschoolcareertheFFAhasbeenanenormousfactorinmygrowthover
thesepastfouryears.Throughthevastopportunities,suchasshowmanshipandthevarious
leadershippositionsIhavebeengiven,IhavebeenabletomatureasapersonandbecomewhoI
amtoday.
Overthepast4yearsIhavebeengiventheprivilegeofshowing3marketlamb,aswell
as2marketswine.Throughthesesupervisedagriculturalexperience(SAE)projects,Iwasgiven
theresponsibilityofalifeotherthanmyown.Takingcareoftheseanimalswasnotapieceof
cake.Itcamewitheachtheirowndifficultiessuchasthetimecommitment,financial
responsibility,andthewellbeingoftheanimals.Myfavoriteoftheseprojectswouldhavetobe
myjunioryearswine.InamedherPoopy,anditrulyenjoyedraisingherfromalittlepiglet.
Shetaughtmealot,andIamgratefulforthetimewespenttogether
Alongwiththeprivilegeofraisinganimals,theFFAhasallowedmetodevelop
leadershipqualitiesthroughdifferentactivitiessuchasbanquetsandcompetitions.Ihave
assistedintheproductionoftheannualcrabfeed,meaningIwasgiventhetaskofmakingsure

everyonewassatisfiedwithourefforts.Thispositioncalledformetoorganizetheentireevent,
fromtheserversthemselvestodealingwithanyobstacleswehadtoface.Indoingso,Inow
haveexperiencewithcustomerservice,allthroughtheFFA.
TheFFAissuchalifechangingorganization.Toputitintobettercontext,theFFAisa
studentrunorganizationthatisnationwide.Havingsaidthat,Iambeyondthankfulforthe
opportunitiesithasgivenmeandforwhoIhavebecome.Wordscantexplainhowmuchthe
FFAmeanstome,andIamextremelythankfulforalloftheexperiencesIhavebeengiven.