The Adventures of Alex: Nebraska COLT

N-ice people
E-nthusiastic FFA members
B-eautiful country roads
R-unza’s! Nuff said 
A-vid football fanatics
S-lim Jims
K-iller state officers
A-mazing water volleyball players

Last week was my first visit to the corn husker state for the fourth week of COLT – Chapter Officer Leadership Training!

I had so much fun bonding with the phenomenal State Officers – Jordyn, Debra, Alec, Dakota, Mollie, John and Kerry – and getting to see how their unique individual personalities and strengths work together to positively impact Nebraska FFA members. You guys ROCK!!

Over the three days I spent in Aurora, Nebraska I had a BLAST fishing, quoting movies with the Lee FFA Chapter, taking an honorary membership oath to the David City FFA Chapter, learning how to swing dance with some members who can cut a rug like the contestants on “Dancing with the Stars,” sitting in some awesome leadership sessions, playing water volleyball against the advisors, and watching chapters plan their POA for the upcoming year.

Nebraska FFA members really work hard, but play harder! We launched into a new year of leadership while enjoying the beautiful facilities, perfect weather and an epic flashlight relay :)

Check out more about my trip through these pictures!!!

Levy's Latest

Bethany's Blessings- VALUE Where You Come From

How do you VALUE where you come from?

Share the pride you take in your family, chapter, or hometown with me on Facebook or on Twitter: Bethany_Lane.

Randa's Journey- The power of Impact

Hello friends!

IMPACT- One of the greatest opportunities we have each and every minute to truly change someone else's life. After spending the year traveling all accross the country I have had the blessing of meeting many people who have shared with me their stories of impact. These friends come from all walks of life and each with a different story to tell. When asked to name someone who impacted them, here's what you said :)


My Dad (Brian Bachman) has impacted me more than anyone else. He passed away when I was 5 but I know that he is still with me in everything that I do. Whenever I need some advise I just listen to my heart and I know that he and God will direct me in the right path. There are many of things that I do just for the pure fact that I know it was something that he always wanted to do but never got the opportunity, (like being a state officer) I just hope that he can experience alot of things through me. -Justin Bachman


My grandfather aka poppop to me (Bill Kesen)
He has impacted my life more than any other person. He is a fighter for his life and for his family. He has been battling cancer for the second time now and he still keeps strong with his faith and family. His never quit attitude has rubbed off on me ten fold. He is a man i will always hope to be like and he continues to impact me every time I see him.-Brandon Walker



Mine would have to be my Advisor, Mr. Fuller. Fuller was one of the first people that really got me hooked on FFA when I was a freshman. When I was lost and was looking for a role model he showed up even when I wasnt in his class and I in no way looked like I could be turned into something positive. He went through alot of personal challenges when he was younger but he focused on serving people and he has stuck with that focus ever since. He served as not only a teacher but a mentor and a best friend. Whether it was helping me with class, working with me in the greenhouse, or even driving me home from school when I did not have a ride, he always and still teaches and shows me what true servant leadership is all about. Without Mr. Fuller, there is no way I would be close to where I am today or where I want to go. –Jared Biciolis

Well someone that has changed my life is my best friend brian he has given me the will to keep going even though life is hard for me right and i don’t know what i would do with out him. –Nick Bassett

It's so good to hear from you and I think this sounds like a great idea! God has definitely impacted my life more than anything or anyone else! I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for the grace of God creating me. Everytime I struggle or fall flat on my face, He picks me up again. It doesn't matter how many times I totally mess things up, He will ALWAYS show me mercy and grace. He is the only one who can totally forget all of the wrongs I have done. When I feel like my world is caving in, He supports me. He is my rock and place of shelter. People may disappoint me, I may disappoint others, and I might feel all alone at times but as long as I have His love in my heart, my life is so much more fulfilled than it ever could have been without Him! He gave His life for mine and for that I will always be thankful and I'll never be able to repay :)- Amy Jo Frost

The person who has had the biggest impact on me lately didn't do anything all that special. They didn't save a child from a fire or leap buildings in a single bound, they were simply just there. I had been going through some rough times and this person was there for me to talk to, there to listen when things got tough, and they were a shoulder to cry on in the really bad times.
Sometimes we make the biggest impact without even knowing it. We can change others lives by just being a good Christian friend and being there when they need us the most.- Jeremy Fair

I would have to say my sister Laney, over the years she has been my biggest role model and best friend. Her accomplishments and successes in school and in FFA made me want to get involved too! Some siblings want to be different than the oldest and do their own thing but I wanted to be just like her! She encouraged me to continually try harder and the competitive sister edge made me work harder in contests like parly pro! I also look up to her because she has such a strong moral compass, faith, and loving personality. No matter what it is, she can find a way to have fun with it. Without her example, I truly believe I wouldn't be here today. -Emmy Kratz

Through all of these stories the underlying theme is that ANYONE, ANYWHERE can leave an IMPACT. Know that you can make that difference because you have purpose just simply add in that willingness to serve.

When asked about someone who has impacted me..well that's easy because it's each one of YOU! Thank you for sharing your lives, changing my world and be sure to know how much influence you have!

The Adventures of Alex: LOVE... Pass it on!

The last week has been pretty hard for me.

Not because I’ve been memorizing curriculum or putting on four consecutive days of a conference. It’s not because I’ve been teaching Texas A&M students that are older than me or sweating uncontrollably due to the Texas heat. I’m not more homesick than normal and my health is just fine.

But this week was different because it’s the first time that tragedy had hit so close to home.

Anna was a junior when I was a freshman in our 700-student high school. She was gorgeous, always smiling and seemed to always have the nicest friends. She was an awesome tennis player, football super-fan, student council member, community service volunteer, and extremely involved in extracurricular activities. Anna graduated as valedictorian of her class and went on to a great college and a prestigious graduate school for dentistry.

She did everything right. Anna took care of her body, stayed out of trouble, worked hard and pushed herself harder. She was that girl that everyone compared themselves to and that her family and friends adored.

I got word just a few days ago that Anna passed away after a sudden pulmonary embolism. Basically, no one had any idea that anything was wrong until she stopped breathing in her apartment.

Everything happened so fast and there was nothing the doctors could do. My whole community offered prayers and support, but it couldn’t counter the odds stacked against Anna.

This isn’t the first death I’ve coped with and to be honest, I wasn’t extremely close to Anna.

So why is this bothering me so much?

It could have been me…

I was in a lot of the clubs that Anna was in. I was friends with her little brother. Her parents are my dentists. My family is just like her family... She is only two years older than I am.

I’ll admit, I’ve been down in the dumps the past few days and I can’t get Anna out of my mind. I’ve been scared. I have been hurting so bad for her family. I’ve been thinking, “It’s so unfair that He took her.”

Faith isn’t an easy thing, but it gets you through situations like this. Faith that all things happen for a reason. Faith that the pain will lessen each day. Faith that there’s something way bigger than this.

What struck me most the past few days was a Facebook message that Anna’s brother sent to everyone who had joined her support group. He said, “Sometimes tragedy strikes us when we least expect it, and I really only have a few words of advice. Tell every person you love that you love them when you talk to them. If I could do anything, I would go back to the last conversation I had with Anna on Saturday and tell her I loved her 100 times. People keep telling me that I meant the world to her, and I wish and hope she knew I felt the same way about her.”

He words are eloquent and strong, but not a new revelation. We've heard them before. However, they took on new meaning this week. It could have been my sister. It could have been someone that I loved. I could have been me. What are the last words I said to those I love the most?

My point? Life isn’t fair. It’s not predictable. But it’s not our job to worry about it. It's a waste of life to wake up scared every morning.

My mom is one of the smartest people I know and she always used to tell my siblings and me, “You don’t have a limited amount of love.” She emphasized that inside each of us we have a free-flowing spring of it that will never run dry. So we should give that love freely and to anyone that we come into contact with.

Listen to the words of Anna’s brother. What are the last words you said to those who mean the most? Share your love with those closest to you TODAY! Never end a conversation without the words, “I love you” and mean them. Don’t wake up worried about the “what ifs.” Live each day by the “what cans.”

Anna’s story isn’t defined by how it ended. Neither will yours. So fill up the middle pages with LOVE.

Chelsea's Excited About the 2010 National FFA Theme!

"Infinite Potential"...achieved through preparation

This week I'm with the team in College Station, TX facilitating a conference for Texas A&M University students. We split into pairs for the week, which serves as a means of practice and preparation for the National Leadership Conference for State Officers we facilitate several times around the country throughout the summer.

Preparing for this conference is a thorough process, however, preparation is something us FFA members know well. We prepare for tests, projects, Career Development Events, judging contests, and much more. Preparation is a skill my FFA advisor impressed upon me. He would quote from time to time, "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail." This is such a true statement. We're taught to speak extemporaneously when we must, however, if we take the time to prepare, our chances at success increase each time.

Jonathon Mason, Vermont FFA, exemplifies what a dream combined with preparation can get you. He dreamed of being a state officer. His mother was a state officer in Vermont, along with several other family members. However, the state convention of Jonathon's senior year, no one from his chapter was even going to state FFA convention. How was he supposed to run for state office? He prepared. He did what he could to become as ready as he could possibly be. He went to convention after preparing for interviews, ran for office while attending the convention alone, and when the big moment came Jonathon Mason was named the 2009-2010 State FFA President. With encouragement from his family, the courage to tap into his own potential, and the confidence to pursue his dream -- Jonathon did it! Preparation and the foresight to believe in his Infinite Potential paid off in a major way for this FFA member.

Alyssa Fee, a member at the Liberty FFA Chapter in Tennessee, has also been a great example for me and other members of what preparation can earn. Alyssa works long hours on an agricultural operation for her mentor, maintains an excellent GPA, and is very active in FFA. In fact, she recently competed in prepared public speaking at state FFA convention. Her speech was about "Curly Calf Syndrome" (a disease found in Angus cattle). Alyssa loves Angus cattle, she loves FFA, and she loves being on the big stage at state convention. I shared conversations with her about the nervousness she felt and the hard work she had invested. She had studied daily to become an expert on her topic. It was no surprise when she took home second in the state and got a nice, new plaque to show for her hard work.

What can each of these stories teach us? When we find our passion, follow it, believe in victory, PREPARE and follow through with our goals, we can achieve anything! If we prepare, work hard every day toward our passions, and believe in victory, we can reach our INFINITE POTENTIAL.

Infinite Potential is the theme that will inspire members for the next year. Look for ways to tap into your own potential in 2010 and beyond!

The Adventures of Alex: Risk Management Essay Contest

There are a lot of misconceptions out there when it comes to agriculture.

Chocolate milk comes from brown cows. Food comes from the grocery store. Farmers all look like Old McDonald.

In fact, only two percent of Americans actually live on a farm and are engaged in agricultural production. Ten agriculturalists and FFA members took a stab at beginning to educate the other 98 percent.

The 2010 Risk Management Essay Contest winners wanted to spread the word, bust some popular agricultural myths and tell “The Rest of the Story.” During their time in Washington, D.C., the 10 winners and their advisor or a parent met with top USDA officials and their congressmen, took a tour of the White House, explored Georgetown, visited the Monuments and discovered the history behind our nation’s Capitol firsthand.

Check out their myths and pass the real story on!

MYTH: Chocolate milk comes from brown cows.

BUSTED: Chocolate milk is chocolate syrup mixed in to white milk. (You don’t see any pink cows producing strawberry milk, do you?)
-David Walden, Durant Sr. FFA, Florida

MYTH: Beef is unhealthy and fattening.

BUSTED: Beef actually has 28 cuts of lean beef per cow. It also contains 10 essential vitamins and nutrients, gives you energy, and tastes GREAT! 
-Amanda Adcock, Hunt FFA, North Carolina


MYTH: Farmers harm and mistreat animals.

BUSTED: Actually most show animals are under fans, fed all they want, and washed and brushed everyday
-Emily Fanning, Laverne FFA, Oklahoma

MYTH: Farmers aren’t educated

BUSTED: It takes a lot to be a wheat farmer! You have to know about wheat diseases that could harm your crops and what chemicals to apply to kill those diseases.
-Zach Weichel, Cordell FFA, Oklahoma

MYTH: Farming is easy.

BUSTED: Actually there are a lot of steps/education required to farm. Farmers must plant, spray, and harvest at just the right times. Otherwise the crop and profits will suffer and farmers won’t make a very good living.
-Colton Hansen, Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca FFA, Nebraska

MYTH: Organic Farming is the best way to farm and produce grain in the world.

BUSTED: American farmers have and will continue to grow conventional crops. These methods have proved to be the most stable and sustainable mode of crop production in the world. Organic Farming might be useful for specialty products. But in reality, it is not going to feed the world!
-Denton Lowe, Amber-Pocasset FFA, Oklahoma

MYTH: Food comes from the grocery store.

BUSTED: There are acres of open fields used to grow produce and meat. Just go down the country side and you will see another perspective of where food comes from.
-Keith Mentnech, Croatan FFA, North Carolina

MYTH: FFA is just plows, cows, and sows.

BUSTED: There’s more to FFA than livestock and plants/crops. There’re lots of opportunities for leadership development, conferences and contests. Plus there’s plenty of money available for scholarships.
-Jordan Hieber, Ubly FFA, Michigan

MYTH: Agriculture isn’t necessary for survival.

BUSTED: We need agriculture for clothes, food, and other everyday necessities. Without agriculture, life wouldn’t be possible. We need agriculture for almost everything in life.
-Abbey Nickel, Mount Vernon FFA, Ohio

MYTH: FFA is just a high school activity. People don’t use it in life.

BUSTED: The things students learn in high school agriculture education classes can help them throughout their lives. Students learn leadership skills, time management, and how to work with other people. FFA skills are used everywhere, all the time!
-Katie Brown, Grapeland FFA, Grapeland, TX

Interested in a free trip to Washington, D.C.?! Want to meet the Secretary of Agriculture one-on-one? Wonder what your congressman/woman is up to?

Then learn more about the Risk Management Essay Contest sponsored by the USDA! Click here for more information http://www.ffa.org/index.cfm?method=c_programs.RiskManagement

To see more pictures from the trip, check out my Facebook page!

Bethany's Blessings- Maine State Convention

WELCOME to MAINE

From May4 thru May 8, I got to meet some of the most incredible FFA members from the Maine FFA Association. 163 members and guests came to Bangor, ME and competed on the University of Maine campus in CDEs. My time with the Maine members was AWESOME!



Chapter I Got to Visit

*Presque Island Ironically, where my roommate at K-State grew-up! They have an incredible school farm, complete with a production line to produce apple cider

*Easton Took me to see my 1st moose, taught me about fiddleheads, introduced me to Tim Horton's coffee, and entertained me on our bus ride to state convention!

*Ashland Home of Maine's Agriscience teacher of the year, Mrs. Ward

*Fort Fairfield My friends Matthew, 1st place creed speaker, and Issac, 2nd place prepared speaking, are from here. They're great!

Adventures in Maine

*Saw a moose

*Met the lumberjacks off of the t.v. show "American Loggers"

*Ate Maine Lobster

*Drank Moxie for the first time (probably the ONLY time...lol)

*Toured University of Maine

*Could see Canada from the road

*Visited a potato farm and saw a potato house
*Went on an epic roadtrip to Vermont and New Hampshire

Congrats to the 10-11 State Officers, Lee Ann and Kelsey!!!

Randa's Journey- OH--IO convention!

Hello Friends!!

OHIO = AMAZING!

I just got back from an incredible convention!! Ohio FFA did an outstanding job as they excelled and delivered during April 30- May 1. The state officers rocked out as they put on sessions for about 5,000 members! We heard from speakers such as Judson Laipply, Dan Thurmon and state president Jeremy Grove, recognized countless members for their outstanding work and even awarded state degree receipients!! The state officers, Jeremy, Suzie, Justin, Alissa, Rachel, Jessica, Jenny, Jeffrey, Isaac, Megan, Kelly, Mariah, Linsey, Amy Jo, Kalleigh, did a phenomenal job and congratulations on a great convention!

I truly enjoyed my time in Ohio as I learned so much from the members I was able to meet. There are incredible individuals in Ohio and I will never forget the amazing time I had! Whether I was presenting a workshop, eating at a banquet dinner or just hanging out before a session, every aspect was great. Congratulations to the new state officer team as they continue to move and inspire members!

Thank you Ohio for an awesome convention and I look forward to what the future has in store... something else I learned..O-H---I-O!!!!!!

I met some amazing friends!

Ohio has some outstanding members!!

The state officer team has some incredible people who presented one phenomenal convention

Everyone was so jazzed about the sessions!

The new team!! Congratulations to each of you and please let me know if you ever need anything!

The Adventures of Alex: Oklahoma State Convention

Impressive! *AMAZING*^Raises the Bar^ -Breathtaking-
(A Big Deal) +Positively Awesome+

There are a lot of words I could use to describe the Oklahoma FFA State Convention. But none of them would do it justice!

For those of you who have never attended, the Oklahoma State Convention is a cross between a concert, laser show, professional basketball game and motivational speak off. The State Officers were polished. The chorus was phenomenal. The Eli Young Band was rocking. The music was loud. The crowd of FFA members was louder. And the talents exhibited and rewarded were outstanding!

If you don’t believe me, take a look at this!!

Throughout the two-day convention, I had a blast getting to know the state officers – Amy, McKenzie, Kelli, Robby, Josh, Tara, Emily, and Ariel – and hanging out with the State Officer Candidates! Congrats to the 2009-2010 State Officers on a first-rate convention.

To the 2010-2011 State Officers – Emily, Marty, Trevor, Owen, Mitchell, Katie, Courtney, and Dakota—remember the excitement and passion you had when they called your name and reinvest that in the members throughout the course of the year. Use your momentum to make a difference!

Thank you Garber FFA for letting me hang out with you guys during session! It was great getting to know your officer team and Creed Speaking Extraordinaire Tyler. Keep spreading the “Lead Out Loud” dance!

Thank you Prague and Yukon FFA for taking me to lunch! Not only was the food delicious, I really liked hearing about your chapter activities and SAEs.

Thanks to Mr. Turner and Eufaula FFA for letting me sit with you in between sessions. I’ll check out the books you guys suggested!

To the Oklahoma FFA, THANK YOU for showing me what The Sooner State is made of!










As always, there's more where this came from! Check my entire trip to Oklahoma out on Facebook!