Rebecca Sprague entered FFA as a freshman with a bit of an advantage over her peers. She already knew all about the organization.
For her, FFA is all about family.
Her father taught FFA at Lebo, and her older siblings were members. She saw how much they enjoyed the program.
“I love FFA. I love the program. The experiences you get. The activities you’re involved in. It’s always been in the books for me,” she said. “And out of all the kids in my class, I’m closest with this group of people. I may not be super close with them outside of this class, but it’s a family.”
She also gives adviser Amanda Strickler much of the credit for creating that family atmosphere.
“Mrs. Strickler brings us together. You have to work together as a team, even in class. We’re so close-knit. We learn from each other. We grow together.”
Take the dairy judging competition. IHS is known for its success in dairy judging. The team has competed at the national level more than once in that area. Sprague was part of the team.
“Mrs. Strickler is a big dairy person. She taught us everything she knows. We wanted to do well for her,” Sprague said.
Sprague has been involved with 4-H since she was 7, so she had experience in livestock judging and public speaking.
Still, FFA expanded her abilities. She plans to become a nurse and join the military, so the skills she has developed will be invaluable.
“It’s helped me become more of a dominant person and take control of situations,” she said.
She’s been disappointed that competitions were moved online, but is grateful IHS still competes. Not all districts have taken advantage of those opportunities.
It isn’t the same, though.
“We’re not in that environment, with all these FFA kids from other schools getting together,” she said.
“It doesn’t feel as much like a competition. When you’re at a contest, you’re in the moment. You’re giving information. You’re seeing the way the animals walk, getting different angles. You can hear your competitors and what they’re talking about, and you want to do better.”
This past year has been such a different experience, Sprague wonders how it might change the nature of FFA.
“I think this will change our generation forever. The freshmen won’t fully get the feeling of FFA that we got. I hope our chapter can make it as normal as possible for them.”
