MSU student Alexandria Henry was recently named the National FFA Eastern Region Vice President for 2009–2010. FFA is an agricultural organization; its 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.” Henry is studying agricultural education and communications, so she is the perfect fit to represent the FFA by traveling around the world and spreading its message.

FFA_logoHenry is taking a year off of school in order to fulfill this duty—during that time, she will travel over 100,000 miles, serving both the agriculture industry as a whole and FFA members and stakeholders. She has had to coordinate things with her advisor, professors, and financial aid, but she will be able to pick up her studies again in the spring of 2011.

Figuring out her school schedule was an easy feat compared to the national FFA election process: it included state qualification, a thorough application, five rounds of interviews, an in-depth written test on FFA and agricultural education topics, and two writing exercises. Then, a panel of nine FFA officers proposed their choices for the national office positions, which had to be approved by delegates at a national convention in Indianapolis.

We can learn about FFA by visiting its website or reading about it from news sources, but that doesn’t necessarily explain why someone would take a year off of school (and go through such an intense election process) to devote herself to the organization’s cause. In order to get a better understanding, we asked Henry what FFA is all about, in her words. This is her explanation: “FFA is about educating students about agriculture, giving them the confidence to lead, and helping them answer the question, ‘Who am I and what do I stand for?’ Over half a million 12–21 year olds in all 50 states, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico have optimized the National FFA Organization as a venue to showcase their talents and passions for agriculture and natural resources.”

So why exactly did Henry decide to run for this position with FFA? Her words again: “I’ve been a member of FFA for nine years and have witnessed the transformation that the organization causes in students’ lives. I believe in what the organization stands for and desire to further its mission in whatever way possible. I have a passion for agriculture and truly believe that nurturing youth leadership is the best proactive approach to a better tomorrow.”

Let’s take a step back. What type of experience does Henry have that makes her qualified to hold this position? After all, she is only a college student; however, her résumé tells another story.

Henry landed a public affairs internship with Dow Chemical after meeting them at the business career fair. During the summer of 2008, she worked “to hire and retain more employees with disabilities by organizing a Midland Disabilities Employee Network (DEN) and spearheading Global DEN activities. This included drafting strategic plans, organizing events, formulating media materials, and meeting with company employees at all levels to implement change.” She also found an internship with the Michigan Ag Council and the Michigan Farm Bureau by networking with professionals through her extracurriculars and classes. As Henry describes it, “I organized and implemented grassroots agriculture advocacy campaigns (radio, cinema advertisements, billboards, etc.), helped raise over $200,000 for a state-wide agriculture education campaign (on television and radio), and formulated agriculture education materials, including lesson plans and activity booklets.”

On campus, Henry participates in Relay for Life, is a member of Leaders in Environmental and Agricultural Fields (LEAF), and serves as Vice President of External Relations on the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Student Senate. She was the president of the Michigan FFA Association in 2007.

With this impressive background, and, soon, holding a national office position to add to the list, what does Henry hope to do post-graduation? Big things, no doubt.

“In the future, I want to make a career of spreading the word about agriculture through education and public relations efforts. These efforts may be executed in Washington, D.C., as the Secretary of Agriculture, or may take place in a Michigan high school classroom as an agriscience educator. I’ve explored collegiate opportunities to best prepare me for a career of service to the agricultural industry. [For example,] I traveled to Japan in October to spread the land grant mission to 30 students from 21 countries while discussing the global food, energy, and environmental crises.

“My future can be summed up with two words: agricultural advocacy.”

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/benimoto/ / CC BY 2.0

Errata: In an earlier version of this article, Alexandria Henry was mistakenly referred to as Alexandria Hale.