Alma FFA Member Selected As a National Officer
Alexandria Henry Named 2009-2010 National FFA Eastern Region Vice President
Alex Henry is no stranger to hard work. In addition to being a college student with a 3.9 GPA, she also participates in FFA activities, is a member of several extracurricular activities and has an after-school job that keeps her busy. This expert multi-tasker can add one more role to her impressive list: National FFA Eastern Region Vice President. She was elected to that office today at the 82nd National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. This Alma High School FFA Chapter member from Elwell, Mich., was among six individuals selected from a field of 39 to hold a national office. She is the daughter of Burton and Cheryl, and her FFA advisor is her father.
Fulfilling her position will require traveling more than 100,000 miles; meeting top leaders in business, government and education; visiting approximately 40 states; and participating in an international experience tour to Japan. Her responsibilities will include providing personal growth and leadership training for students, setting policies that shape the future of the organization and promoting agricultural literacy.
The national FFA officer selection process is intense and represents an assessment of years of academic and extracurricular accomplishments made by each student running for office. Nominees must first qualify on the state level to represent their particular state FFA associations. They then submit a thorough application, detailing their accomplishments and contributions to the community, along with an essay explaining their desire to be elected to national office. Once at the convention, candidates participate in five rounds of interviews, take an in-depth written test on the organization and agricultural education topics and complete two writing exercises.
A panel of nine state FFA officers comprises the nominating committee that proposes the slate of six officers for approval by the convention delegates.
Henry attends Michigan State University in East Lansing, with a double major in agriculture communications and agriculture education. While at school, she is a member of Leaders in Environmental and Agricultural Fields (LEAF), serves as the Vice President of External Relations on the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Student Senate and participates in her campus’ Relay For Life event. In 2007 she served as president of the Michigan FFA Association.
As a member of FFA, Henry has had a variety of supervised agricultural experience (SAE) programs. She raised chickens, lambs and goats; worked in her school’s greenhouse; and had internships at The Dow Chemical Company and Michigan Farm Bureau. She also has an extensive list of awards and honors, including being named a state winner and national semi-finalist in the prepared public speaking and extemporaneous speaking career development events (CDE), a state winner in the agricultural communications CDE and being named a National FFA Risk Management Essay Contest winner.
"Being a national officer isn’t about me. It’s about the students who wear the blue and gold jackets," said Henry. "My vision is to serve FFA members by helping them discover the courage and confidence to pursue dreams beyond their boundaries."
The National FFA Organization, formerly known as the Future Farmers of America, is a national youth organization of 506,199 student members – all preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture – as part of 7,429 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The National FFA Organization changed to its present name in 1988, in recognition of the growth and diversity of agriculture and agricultural education. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA Organization operates under a Federal Charter granted by the 81st Congress of the United States, and is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. Visit www.ffa.org for more information.
Alex Henry is no stranger to hard work. In addition to being a college student with a 3.9 GPA, she also participates in FFA activities, is a member of several extracurricular activities and has an after-school job that keeps her busy. This expert multi-tasker can add one more role to her impressive list: National FFA Eastern Region Vice President. She was elected to that office today at the 82nd National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. This Alma High School FFA Chapter member from Elwell, Mich., was among six individuals selected from a field of 39 to hold a national office. She is the daughter of Burton and Cheryl, and her FFA advisor is her father.
Fulfilling her position will require traveling more than 100,000 miles; meeting top leaders in business, government and education; visiting approximately 40 states; and participating in an international experience tour to Japan. Her responsibilities will include providing personal growth and leadership training for students, setting policies that shape the future of the organization and promoting agricultural literacy.
The national FFA officer selection process is intense and represents an assessment of years of academic and extracurricular accomplishments made by each student running for office. Nominees must first qualify on the state level to represent their particular state FFA associations. They then submit a thorough application, detailing their accomplishments and contributions to the community, along with an essay explaining their desire to be elected to national office. Once at the convention, candidates participate in five rounds of interviews, take an in-depth written test on the organization and agricultural education topics and complete two writing exercises.
A panel of nine state FFA officers comprises the nominating committee that proposes the slate of six officers for approval by the convention delegates.
Henry attends Michigan State University in East Lansing, with a double major in agriculture communications and agriculture education. While at school, she is a member of Leaders in Environmental and Agricultural Fields (LEAF), serves as the Vice President of External Relations on the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Student Senate and participates in her campus’ Relay For Life event. In 2007 she served as president of the Michigan FFA Association.
As a member of FFA, Henry has had a variety of supervised agricultural experience (SAE) programs. She raised chickens, lambs and goats; worked in her school’s greenhouse; and had internships at The Dow Chemical Company and Michigan Farm Bureau. She also has an extensive list of awards and honors, including being named a state winner and national semi-finalist in the prepared public speaking and extemporaneous speaking career development events (CDE), a state winner in the agricultural communications CDE and being named a National FFA Risk Management Essay Contest winner.
"Being a national officer isn’t about me. It’s about the students who wear the blue and gold jackets," said Henry. "My vision is to serve FFA members by helping them discover the courage and confidence to pursue dreams beyond their boundaries."
The National FFA Organization, formerly known as the Future Farmers of America, is a national youth organization of 506,199 student members – all preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture – as part of 7,429 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The National FFA Organization changed to its present name in 1988, in recognition of the growth and diversity of agriculture and agricultural education. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA Organization operates under a Federal Charter granted by the 81st Congress of the United States, and is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. Visit www.ffa.org for more information.
Video of Officer Election
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Post Election Interview with Orion Samuelson
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