Editor’s note: In recognition of National FFA Week, the Register’s Sarah Haney interviewed students from Iola, Humboldt, Marmaton Valley and Crest schools.
COLONY — When Crest High School junior Blaine King initially joined FFA, he didn’t quite know what was in store for him. To his surprise, it was the catalyst for what he plans to be his life’s work.
Joining FFA was the “popular thing to do,” said King. “I didn’t realize the impact it would have or all of the different opportunities it would provide. I joined blindly, not knowing what it would bring.”
King quickly became engrossed in the program, serving as secretary of his chapter for two years before ultimately becoming its president.
Through FFA, he has competed in agriculture communications and has given prepared speeches for area competitions and Aggie Days.
“I just finished K-State Speech Day,” he added. “It’s also been fun to grow with the contests — individually and as a team.”
King’s team won first in the district for agriculture communications at a competition in Burlington in December.
King credited FFA for helping develop his public speaking skills, being held accountable, and working as a member of a team.
IN ADDITION to his duties as president, King is also part of a program called FFA in the USA. The program allows students from more than 130 FFA chapters to write stories for the FFA magazine, New Horizons.
“I also work with local news outlets to share local FFA stories, as well as at the national level,” he explained. “This is a fairly new program. I’m lucky to be one of two people from Kansas who are a part of it.”
King knows the benefits of FFA first-hand. The program has helped him discover his career pathway — agriculture journalism.
He noted that the main misconception of FFA is that it is just “cows, sows, and plows,” but it goes far beyond that. “That is not what I’m doing,” he explained. “FFA branches out so broadly.”
His post-secondary plans include attending K-State to major in agriculture and natural resource communication. “I ultimately want to become a journalist, focusing on agriculture,” he said. He hopes to start at smaller media outlets doing some writing and assignment reporting before progressively working his way up to a broadcast station.
King’s advice for incoming freshmen curious about FFA? Trust the process.
“Take the leap,” he said. “It will benefit you more in the long-term than you’ll ever know.”
