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Illinois FFA officers reflect on own involvement

During FFA Week, officers in the Illinois FFA are promoting the youth organization through visits to chapters around the state. In addition to encouraging younger members to get involved in the FFA, officers have their own stories about what caused them to become involved.

Illinois FFA President Amie Burke from Fithian, Illinois, was part of a family tradition, becoming a member after her brother and uncles were first members.

“I just decided to give it a shot, and when I got in, I really realized that there was something in [FFA] for me,” Burke told Brownfield Monday. “I was able to take that experience and just go from there and grow.”

AUDIO: Amie Burke (5 min. MP3)

Illinois FFA Vice President Caroline Bremer of Metropolis, Illinois, joined to compete in public speaking. As a freshman, she was mentored by a senior student who saw potential in her.

“I got more active and I really saw some of the opportunities that [FFA] had to offer, and I think that FFA is kind of addicting like that,” said Bremer Monday. “Once you are able to embrace your own potential and do something with it, it just seems like more and more opportunities pop up for students. I think that’s kind of how it happened to me.”

 AUDIO: Caroline Bremer (6 min. MP3)

Bremer, Burke and the three other state officers each take a year away from college studies to serve the Illinois FFA. Bremer, however, doesn’t view that as a missed educational opportunity.

“I think that the experiences I’ve gained this year as a state officer are experiences I could never gain in a classroom,” she says.