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Lowville Student Jack Beyer Elected to Serve as New
York FFA State President
Published: May 13, 2024 at
04:15 p.m.
By: Provided by Lowville FFA Chapter
Opportunity of a Lifetime Starts Now for Local
Student
PHOTO: Jack Beyer - President (Lowville),
Taylor Barraclough – Vice President (Schuylerville),
Anna Maxwell - Secretary (Salem), Andrew Curtis-Szalach - Treasurer (Cazenovia),
Noah Davis – Reporter (Greenwich) and Melissa Pratt -
Sentinel (Queens)
Ithaca, NY- When looking
back on life, May 4, 2024 may very well stand out
as a day to be remembered for one local high school student. Jack Beyer, a
Junior at Lowville Academy and Central School and member of the Lowville
FFA Chapter, was elected to serve for a year as New York FFA State
President leading 12,000 other students for the next year.
The FFA, a
national youth organization, once known as the Future Farmers of America
offers leadership and career development opportunities for students
interested in any agriculturally related career. One in five American
careers is founded in agriculture and students studying agricultural
education in New York high schools are preparing for careers that are
essential (food safety), current (“Green” technology and renewable fuels)
and lucrative (veterinary science). As an elected state officer, Jack will
have the chance to promote these opportunities throughout the state to
students, school administrators, businesses and
legislators.
As an FFA member,
Jack took advantage of many of these same opportunities. The leadership
skills developed throughout membership in the FFA lead to a talent for
speaking, a knowledge of agriculture and the FFA and a passion for servant
leadership. As a state FFA officer, Jack will receive over 250 hours of
training and spend more than a month on the road over his summer vacation.
Appropriately, going along with the convention theme “Forward” Jack will
have the opportunity to leave his impact on over 12,000 FFA member state wide throughout his year of service. He will be
visiting local schools, facilitating workshops and
giving speeches to groups interested in agriculture and education.
"FFA is a
student-led organization and State FFA Officers and District Presidents are
faced with many of the same challenges adults in director roles have: engaging with stakeholders and sponsors,
developing conferences and speeches for FFA's members, diving into current
issues and making decisions for the good of the organization now and into
the future as members of boards and committees, and more." Juleah
Tolosky, NY FFA Director said. "Jack and his teammates will spend this
year growing themselves to serve others and the actions they take will have
impact long after their year of service is complete."
Still on an
adrenaline high, Jack will begin his year of service with Base Camp
training just about a week and a half after being elected. Time-management,
workshop facilitation, key message identification, and character-driven
decision making will all be explored in depth throughout the three-day
conference at the Oswegatchie Educational Center in Croghan, NY. The next
day it will be back to school with essays to write and homework to submit.
It’s a whirlwind experience but one that will be well worth the challenge.
After all, any FFA member knows being elected a state officer is the
opportunity of a lifetime.
Jack and his team
will carry the torch until next year’s convention at the New York State
Fairgrounds. The 2025 Convention will mark the 100th time New York FFA
members have gathered for their annual convention.
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