"Live Everyday Like It's Friday" by State Vice President Sadie Foster
August Blog
“Governor John Bel Edwards announced plans to close all K-12 schools…” When these words spread around Louisiana in March of 2020, panic struck. Everyday supplies in grocery stores quickly disappeared from the shelves. Supply chains were disrupted and meat prices skyrocketed. Spring sports were cancelled and extracurriculars were put on hold. For months, both the state and nation was shut down. There is no doubt that this was, and still is, a challenging time. During this time, the words “cancelled”, “postponed”, and “virtual” were normalized. This made many feel as if their year had been robbed - stolen right out of their hands. Scrolling through social media or TV Channels without hearing about the latest cancellations was simply impossible. It’s all that was being discussed.
But, let’s address what wasn’t being discussed. We as leaders, teachers, students, and agriculturists have been able to persevere through these trying times and create new and innovative ways to communicate with each other. Through newly founded technology usage, we have been allowed to move forward in hosting virtual FFA events with members from across the entire nation. Members have been able to gain one-on-one experiences with National and State officers through virtual workshops and hangouts, which can be a challenge during a “normal” year. With newly available time in their schedules, stakeholders, national politicians, and state leaders have been able to truly connect with our organization and industry and realize its vital importance.
Albert Einstein once said, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” This quote directly relates to how FFA has been persevering through the hardships provided during 2020. On April 16th, 2020, National FFA Secretary Kourtney Lehman was still able to host one of many virtual workshops for FFA members across the nation. In the months of May and June, the Louisiana FFA Association was able to virtually elect nine State Officers to represent our state throughout the next year. Furthermore, the Louisiana FFA Association has adapted to new limitations and hosted the first of its kind, virtual Leadership Camp, virtual State Convention, and even virtual Career and Leadership Development Events. In the upcoming months, Louisiana FFA will continue to push through these uncertain times to be the best it can be for its members.
Although we have been provided with a plethora of reasons to give up, we overcame obstacles and adapted to our new normal. So, instead of focusing on the opportunities missed or the plans that have been changed, let’s focus on the opportunities being created and the plans being renewed. I bet some of you are asking how this is possible. Some examples of how Louisiana FFA has been doing this includes planning virtual chapter visits, virtual Area officer elections, and even some virtual business tours. Chapters across the state have been opening up their students to hundreds of newly-found internet resources. These range from educational videos, to PowerPoint presentations, to research articles - all of which were rarely used prior to COVID-19 due curriculums that focused on hands-on learning.
There are tons of resources available to everyone on our website and social media. If your chapter needs help on getting virtual events started, you can always shoot an email to a state officer or state staff member. You could even check out the social media pages of chapters from around the state, where you’re guaranteed to find some pretty neat ideas. Our state officers are always eager to connect with local chapters, so we would love to help in coming up with new creative ideas and doing virtual chapter visits.
To close this out, I want you to think about your first day of school this semester. When your alarm woke you up, what did you think? Did you think “ahh...I am so glad that it’s Monday”? Or did you think, “I’m so glad I'm awake and starting my week”? No? Now, think about your first Friday of the semester. When your alarm woke you up, I can guarantee that 9/10 of us thought “thank goodness it's FINALLY Friday! This week is finally over.” Now, let’s relate this back to a bigger picture. When you wake up in the morning, I want you to look forward to what is coming. Be excited about the new opportunities being offered, and be hopeful that the day will bring good. Instead of dreading what’s to come, be thankful for what has passed and the new opportunities arriving. Tackle everyday with a Friday mindset, where you are simply looking forward to what lies ahead, because who doesn’t love a good Friday?
