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From a small-town FFA member to state president and now vice president of the Western FFA Region, Ryan Williamson found value in the program and, more importantly, in himself as he served others in his community and FFA. Today, Williamson hopes to share the lessons he learned from the National FFA Organization with his colleagues across the country.
“When I started my career in FFA, I could not have imagined how much this organization would help me become the person I am today,” Williamson said. “Through the mission of FFA, the teachings of trusted advisors, and the support of my fellow members, I have been given the opportunity to truly make an impact in Texas, and now, other FFA students across the country. I am humbled to represent Texas and the Western Region as Vice President and hope to inspire other FFA members like myself to reach their potential and become servant leaders and powerful advocates.”
Williamson didn’t grow up directly in agriculture, but next door to it in El Campo, Texas, a small row-crop farming community where rice is the main commodity. The son of a school librarian and a policeman, Williamson gained his first experience in the agricultural industry with his grandfather, an agricultural mechanic.
Williamson later joined the El Campo FFA as a freshman in high school after being invited as what he calls “a quiet freshman questioning his own worth.” Williamson quickly went from raising rabbits and birds in her backyard to winning four FFA awards and placing in the top 10 at six state FFA competitions. Many of Williamson’s projects were outside the traditional realm of his head, but he encouraged other students to do the same.
“To anyone who wants to get involved in FFA, don’t be afraid to say yes to the opportunity,” Williamson said. “Consider what your interests and goals are and make your own path in FFA.”
One of the most integral parts of Williamson’s family, life and FFA journey is service, a value that his family (who prepared to serve a Thanksgiving meal last holiday season instead of enjoying the meal at home) initially breathed into him. As a senior in the El Campo FFA, Williamson began working on turning a trailer into a bookmobile, something the small community needed during the summer months when students didn’t have access to school libraries.
“My branch has always had some sort of community initiative — whether it was a food drive or cleaning up an area in the community, which broadened my view of service,” Williamson said. “My senior year of high school, I coordinated with the school district librarians to create a drive-thru bookstore — now it’s an ongoing project in my community.”
Now a junior at Texas A&M University, Williamson is studying in the business honors program. After graduation, he hopes to work in the field of international agricultural policy. He will be taking a year off from his life in College Station to share the impact the FFA organization has had on his life as a National FFA Officer. He said: “I am grateful to be able to make this sacrifice. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to influence something that has influenced me.”
As the 2022-23 FFA National Officer, Williamson will dedicate a year of service in local, state, national and international capacities along with the rest of the National Officer Team. Williamson will represent the Western Region facilitating leadership workshops for FFA members, representing the student membership at meetings with the National FFA Board of Directors, and giving motivational speeches as an advocate for FFA on a global scale.
“The officers who came before me helped me find direction and confidence. Many students are still discovering who they are, what they bring to the table, and what they can contribute to agriculture. Whether students are involved in production agriculture or live in the city limits, each of us can be a farmer and bring value to agriculture. Now I can be that person for students across the country.”
Training will begin in December, and beginning in February, national officers will begin interacting with students during National FFA Week.
“I had four teachers by age and each of them, during my journey, pushed me in a different way. These were the people who really influenced me to explore and pursue a career in agriculture. It’s really nice to look back and see how many people helped encourage me to explore a future in agriculture. I wouldn’t be here today without those people,” Williamson said. “Now I will really be able to influence students to find their way into agriculture. FFA helped me not only find direction, but confidence in the person I already was.”
Each state FFA association is eligible to send one individual member per year, resulting in 35 members applying for national office positions at the 95th National FFA Convention and Exposition. Williamson, along with her peers, completed a difficult selection process that included a series of graded interviews, speeches and workshops with a nominating committee. Candidates for National Officers must be active FFA members, maintain active membership during their term, and hold the American FFA degree at the time of election, the highest degree attainable in FFA.
“Our goal at FFA is to raise the next generation of leaders who are ready to make an impact, and we are extremely proud to have Ryan represent El Campo and Texas FFA as a national leader.” said Jennifer Jackson, executive director of the Texas FFA Association. “We are excited to see what he will accomplish in the next year of commitment and service.”
The next class of National FFA Officers will be elected at the 96th National FFA Convention and Exposition in 2023.
Heidi Crankovic is an associate editor of AGDAILY. She is a New Mexico native with deep roots in the Southwest and a passion for all things agriculture.
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