Adam Torres and Emily Gossett discuss Texas FFA.
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Show Notes:
Listen to coverage from the 96th Texas FFA State Convention in Houston, Texas.In this episode, Adam Torres and Emily Gossett, Texas FFA Member, explore her experience as a member of FFA and the importance of attending convention
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Full Unedited Transcript
Hey, I’d like to welcome you to another episode of Mission Matters. My name is Adam Torres and I’m coming to you today from the Texas FFA convention in Houston, Texas. And my guest is Emily Gossett and we got a whole lot to talk about. We’re talking all FFA takeover today. So, Emily, first, welcome to the show.
Hey, thank you for having me. So how did they snag you into giving me an interview? Hey, you know, Mr. Aaron Alejandro said you have got to go talk to this guy, and hey, I go, I’ll talk to anybody. I’ll talk to a brick wall. So I said, I got it all on that. Oh, so hold on. I’m compared to a brick wall over here?
No, no, no, no, no. So you’re probably more fun than that. Okay, I’m in. It’d kind of boring to talk to a brick wall. Alright, alright, I’ll take that. So Emily, tell me a little bit more about your position and what you do at Texas FFA. Yeah, so I’m actually the National FFA Western Region Vice President. So I get to come to Texas and experience the beauty that is Texas FFA State Convention.
I’m a national representative. I’m actually from the state of New Mexico. So right over geographically, we’re, we’re neighbors, but I’m just here. I’m, I gave a keynote this morning. I’ll do some workshops. Wow. Some remarks during the week, and I’m, I’m really just here to hear members stories and just hang out.
What was your keynote about? Yeah, it was about grace, and so stumbling gracefully, and how it’s undeserved but freely given and built on the foundation of kindness, forgiveness, and then being graceful to yourself. I’m a fan of that my mom’s name’s Grace, so there you go. See, my parents always say they should have named me Grace because I don’t have any.
What, what inspired the keynote? Like, what inspired that topic for you? Yeah, honestly, I had no clue what I wanted my topic to be, and then I remembered that I love Bob Ross. And I was like, Oh, I’ve got to put Bob Ross in here somehow. And Bob Ross has this famous quote where he said, there are no mistakes, just happy little accidents.
Yeah. And it kind of got me thinking, you know, what, what are mistakes? What are these happy little accidents? And it kind of fell into place that it was talking about grace and how it’s undeserved but freely given. I think it’s amazing that you got not only Bob Ross into your keynote, but also into this interview.
Hey, that’s what Bob Ross is here for. What do you feel? So I want to, there’s those to be some people that watch this and maybe they’re not aware of FFA. They haven’t been listening to the whole series I’ve been doing. Why are you a part of FFA? What does it mean to you? You know, the FFA to me is community.
And as a seventh grader trying to find a place, I was in desperate need of a community. And the FFA and the agricultural industry really brought me in and nurtured me to the person I am today. I did not grow up in agriculture. I could see my high school out of my bedroom window. And the only reason I was in the FFA was because a kid in my sixth grade math class so that I could get out of school.
And once I got into the FFA, it became a family for me in a home away from home in a place that represented so much. Of what the goodness of the world is. I mean, the people at FFA, and during this year, they’ve really shown me that, like, they’ve pulled up a chair for me, but they’ve also built a table right in front of me.
Yeah. Wow, that’s absolutely amazing. And when I think about like some of the stories that you just told a moment ago, even about just your day, like going to these events, doing a keynote, all these things, I would argue that most people don’t have the opportunity to do things like that. Like even just the platform, like the platform as a whole.
And then to be able to what, what number convention is this for you? So this is number 10 and this is Last state commit. Oh no. So my teammates and I, we’ve gone. Oh, how do you feel about that? Oh my gosh, it is so bittersweet. So this morning when I gave my keynote, that was the last time I’ll ever give my keynote.
No, don’t make me cry. And just been such a spectacular example of the goodness of the world and the goodness of FFA members. I mean, I have felt so incredibly welcome at Texas FFA state convention and people have. Truly made a place for me and I couldn’t ask for anything more. I mean, it was a bit of a journey to get here.
Let me honest, if you were the hurricane and I wrecked my rental car, it was a whole thing, getting here. My mind was at ease and I’m at peace knowing that this is the last place that I’ll get to be in this season of this year. And then what, how, so let me tell you about, let me, let me give you a little crystal ball about what happens next.
So next, when you’re in college, then you’re working or who knows, whatever You’re gonna then at some point come back as a sponsor or with your company or something else. I’ve talked to so many. I have. And like that magnetism, they come back and I’m talking to them. They’re like, ah, I used to be doing this.
You know, I know this is hard for you to accept right now, but in 15, 20 years when you come back and you know, you have some other things, it’s gonna be that whole circle. And what’s amazing to me is to see that like played out. So when I’m, when I’m interviewing a member like yourself and then I’m interviewed, I just had on Tom Johnson from ducks unlimited.
He’s a very successful businessman and he comes here every year with ducks. Unlimited and he talked about how hopeful it was in his career and in his journey going forward now when he was you know Your age sitting there in that blue and gold. Did he think that probably that far ahead according to him?
No, but like seeing that circle, it’s a beautiful thing One of the best pieces of advice that I got was actually from a sponsor on a sponsor visit that I went on this year. They said once you get your first, like, big girl paycheck. Yeah. Where was it to by the way? What was the sponsor? Give him a shout out.
You remember? I know you deal with a lot of them. Okay, I’ll put you on the I think it was John Deere. I’m in. It was John Deere. If it’s not, that’s still a great name. At least everybody’s gonna know that. It was definitely John Deere, okay? Go ahead. And somebody told me, they said, once you make your first, like, big girl check, donate 100 back to the National Investment Organization.
Amazing. And do that with every other check when you can, and if you really, truly want to, and this organization gave you as much as you say. Give back to it. And I think that’s something that I’ve really taken, even in the message of like, time, talent, and treasure. So it’s not just the money support that we’re receiving.
It’s the time that people are giving us. Like you right now, sitting at Texas FFA State Convention, giving your time to hearing out members and supporters stories. And being a booth that people can walk by and see this interview happening right now. He makes them curious, and people are just curious to know about agriculture and to know about the community that is FFA.
I think, I think it’s amazing. I think it’s amazing, and I’m excited because for those that don’t understand the future leaders or where things are gonna come from, and sometimes, you know, there may be some biases, not saying for everybody, but about, oh, what’s the next generation doing, or this or that, I tell them what Aaron Alejandro told me once when we were having this discussion, come to a conference, come to a convention, see what’s going on, Feel this energy and see our future leaders because it’s happening right now.
That’s what I said. Well, and these students, they are truly the future of agriculture. We all know the statistic by 2050, we need to feed more people than we’ve ever had in this world before. And these are the students. These are the people that are going to be in legislative offices. These are the people that are going to be running the farms, these people.
This is the future of agriculture. And so how can we equip them as an organization to send them out? We’re an agricultural leadership organization, but to take it a step further, we’re an agricultural literacy organization. Not every student walking through this convention hall right now is going to go into agriculture, but every student should leave our organization with the literacy in agriculture.
So on the side of the road, they could have a conversation with somebody that can change their perspective or maybe bring a new perspective to what agriculture is. And that’s what we’re equipping our students with. Yeah, I think it’s amazing. Emily, I know you got a busy, busy day. I’m going to let you go, but I do want to say thank you for coming on the show.
You’re I’m going to last question for you. What’s your favorite part of all 10 conventions you’ve been to? Give me one moment if you had to think, and it can be silent for a second. They cause this has got to be, this is forever. This is your last convention so far. I think my favorite moment at every single convention is the first opening because it always brings a tear out of my eye because that is the.
The beginning of the end for some of these state officers, but also the beginning for a new year. And every single convention I shed a tear during the first opening ceremony. I’m about to right now. Because it is just such a special way for I remember my first I remember my first ceremony. I’m obviously, I wasn’t, you don’t, maybe you know this, I wasn’t part of FFA.
I mean, my first one as a sponsor and I felt like I wasn’t, I’m like, Oh, it’s such an incredibly special moment and for the first time that the state officers really get to be out there in front of the members of this role at this convention and then and the work that went into getting there or even to leave in the office, just that whole cycle and choosing one particular moment is just so hard.
I know I did it on purpose to you. I know this just a season of everything. But I think the thing that really sticks out is that first opening ceremony. It’s always, is it. It’s always the beginning, and just this morning, I heard my last first opening ceremonies at a state convention, and Really took it in.
Really took it in. Ah, amazing. Well, Emily again, thank you for coming on the show. And and to the audience as always, thank you for tuning in. Hope you enjoy this. We got more interviews coming up. If you haven’t hit the subscribe or follow button yet, highly suggest doing that. This is a daily show. Each and every day we’re bringing you new episodes, new content, and hopefully new inspiration that’s gonna help you along the way on your journey as well.