All are welcome here: New officers committed to growing Indiana FFA

INDIANAPOLIS — There will be a giant welcome mat at the door of Indiana FFA, said the organization’s new state president, Kourtney Otte of Seymour FFA.

“My chapter has a saying, ‘Friends and Family for All,’ because FFA obviously is not an acronym anymore, but we still like to embrace that and tell people that you can come from any walk of life and you will find a place in FFA,” she said.

“You can be a three-sport athlete and still find a contest to do in FFA, because the whole point is getting people involved and helping them grow. So, step outside of that comfort zone. Do not be afraid. You an accomplish anything that you put your mind to.”

Otte and six others were elected as the 2021-2022 Indiana FFA State Officer Team during the sixth general session of the Indiana FFA State Convention. After last year’s convention was conducted virtually, this year’s event was held in person at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center in Indianapolis.

Indiana FFA welcomes anyone and everyone, Otte said.

“Know no matter what you belong here and everyone here loves you regardless of who you are,” she said. “You are here for a reason. You are here to grow.”

Otte is the daughter of Angie and Bill Mousa and is advised by Jeanna Eppley, Micah Wallace, Mikayla Applegate and Shea Elswick. She plans to attend Purdue University to major in agricultural education and become an agriculture teacher and FFA adviser.

Being elected as an Indiana FFA state officer is a dream come true.

“I can remember going to my cousin’s last banquet around upper elementary school and seeing that state officer and seeing their shiny black shoes and their corduroy jacket and I looked at my mom and I said, ‘This is it, like, I will be a state officer,’ and I haven’t looked back since then,” Otte said.

“First it started off with, man, this guy’s speaking skills are incredible, but it quickly changed into the impacts that I saw the state officers have not only on the members, but also on the other state officers.”

Otte said she is looking forward to brainstorming with the rest of the team to set goals for the coming year. In particular, they will work to increase membership, which decreased to 11,550 last year amid the coronavirus pandemic, to a new target of 12,750.

Also elected to the 2021-2022 Indiana FFA State Officer Team were: Nicholas Neuman of Rushville FFA, secretary; Tyler Kilmer of Tri-County FFA, northern region vice president; Abby Stuckwisch of Brownstown Central FFA, southern region vice president; Jordyn Wickard of Eastern Hancock FFA, treasurer; Jeremiah Geise of Rushville FFA, reporter; and Madisen Carns of Mt. Vernon at Fortville FFA, sentinel.

Secretary

Nicholas Neuman said multiple members within the organization encouraged him to run for state office and their support is the reason he is standing today as Indiana FFA secretary. He now wants to extend that collaboration to others.

“As a state officer I want to work on breaking down barriers, both barriers of access within the FFA and also barriers that separate the state officer team from the members. That’s my main goal,” the Rushville FFA member said. “I wanted to become a state officer because of the members.”

Neuman is the son of Mark and Michelle Neuman and is advised by Holly Wagner and Blair Orme. He plans to attend Purdue to major in food and animal science and minor in political science.

Asked what people should think when they think of FFA today, Neuman answered: “They should think of a leadership organization that constantly works to better themselves, to promote agriculture, to build leaders and to make memories.”

Northern Region Vice President

For Tyler Kilmer, elected as Indiana FFA northern region vice president, it’s all about the camps and the conferences.

“The main reason why I was doing this in the first place was because I’ve loved always making those connections. I was a counselor my junior and senior year and I found so much joy being able to help the members out at the younger level, being able to work with them and help them find a reason to continue being in FFA and a reason to come back year after year. So, I’m just ecstatic about getting to do that again,” the Tri-County FFA member said.

Kilmer is the son of Jason and Patty Kilmer and is advised by Travis Scherer and Haley Verhaeghe. He plans to attend Purdue to major in agriculture systems management and become an agricultural technology company representative.

“A while back, we had a transition of FFA is not just for farmers; it’s for anyone who wants to be in agriculture. I think that now FFA isn’t just for people who want to be in agriculture; it’s for everyone,” he said.

“There’s something out there for every member. There’s a leadership contest for you. There’s a convention. There’s something out there for you. So, even if you don’t ever plan on going into a career in agriculture, there’s a skill, a friendship, something you can learn through FFA.”

Southern Region Vice President

In the beginning, FFA was a family tradition for Abby Stuckwisch as she followed in the footsteps of her father, sister and brother. But the Brownstown Central FFA member, elected as Indiana FFA southern region vice president, found her purpose in life — serving others.

“I am a true believer that a true leader is one who has a servant heart and one who is willing to put everything on the line to better serve their members,” she said. “FFA has truly shown me that my passion is for agriculture and teaching others.”

Stuckwisch is the daughter of Ed and Sara Stuckwisch and advised by Blake Hackman. She plans to attend Purdue to major in agricultural education and become an agriculture teacher and FFA adviser.

“Within agriculture we have such a divide between consumers and producers. As an advocate for agriculture, I just really hope to help bridge that divide by making people more comfortable with each other,” Stuckwisch said.

Treasurer

Elected as state treasurer, Jordyn Wickard’s mission statement — her “why” — is for Indiana FFA members to feel valued, loved, appreciated and heard.

“FFA is a place for everyone and it’s a place to call home. The leadership center where we have all of our conferences, Purdue University where we normally have our contests and conventions, anywhere we have a facility, no matter what, there’s always those welcoming faces,” she said.

“That’s what got me into the organization. Even though I was a shy sixth and seventh grader, I still had those people who were there for me and who welcomed me with open arms. I think that’s what’s so beautiful about FFA. I’m so excited to serve with my team this year and be able to spread that love and positivity and joy to our members.”

All are welcome in Indiana FFA, Wickard said.

“I hope to increase that diversification and inclusion in FFA and just be a place for people to come and show up and be their full and authentic selves, where they don’t have to put on a mask, where they don’t have to form a mold of a FFA member, because there is no mold,” she said. “Every single FFA member is perfect just the way they are.”

Wickard is the daughter of Chris and Julia Wickard and is advised by Sarah Williams and Diana Arellano. She plans to attend Purdue to major in agricultural communication and minor in political science and broadcasting.

“I actually went to my first state convention with my mom in sixth grade and she was judging the prepared public speaking contest. That’s where I started to find out, maybe I can do this. So, from then on, I’ve been striving for this goal,” the Eastern Hancock FFA member said. “It’s been a goal of mine to be able to serve these members and now that it’s coming true, I’m just so grateful. I’m so grateful and so ready.”

Reporter

As the Indiana FFA reporter, Jeremiah Geise wants to show others that agriculture is more than cows, plows and sows. For example, it’s also fish.

“I really am excited for the business and industry visits. It’s always unique hearing about the different types of agricultural industries in Indiana,” Geise said.

“Not many members are aware of the fisheries. I had no idea we had fisheries in the state of Indiana until this past year when state officers went to visit it. I’d love to flush that out on social media and make sure that it’s not only the state officers that get to experience things like that, but anyone can experience things like that.”

The Rushville FFA member is the son of Phillip and Karen Geise and is advised by Holly Wagner and Blair Orme. He plans to attend Purdue to major in animal science and become a food animal veterinarian.

FFA has its roots in agriculture, but the leadership organization is open to everyone, Geise said.

“We are always constantly improving and growing and changing,” he said.

Sentinel

As the Indiana FFA sentinel, Madisen Carns wants to encourage members who feel out of place or are shy, especially those from inactive chapters, to branch out.

“Own your uniqueness. Everyone is different. There is no textbook mold of an FFA member. You are unique, you are special and you’ve got something to bring no matter who you are,” the Mt. Vernon at Fortville FFA member said. “I was that shy member. I was the one scared to talk to someone and get in front of people, then today I’m obviously on stage — just to have that happen to more FFA members, get them out of their shells, get comfortable.”

Carns is the daughter of Doug and Lynn Carns and is advised by Lucinda Blair. She plans to attend Purdue to major in pre-veterinary medicine and minor in agribusiness and become a veterinarian.

“At first, I thought the officer process was way too scary and way too much for me. I actually joined my sophomore year, so I’ve only been in FFA for three years and I had no clue about the agriculture industry until I joined my sophomore year and fell absolutely in love with it and it became a passion. I want to be that support for those urban kids, those kids who don’t have those agricultural opportunities in their schools,” she said.