FFA Corner: Favorite moments spent with New Mexico FFA members

From trying green chili custard to watching sunrises over desert mountains, the week I spent in Las Cruces, New Mexico, was full of new experiences. I’d never been up close and personal with a pecan tree nor was I used to seeing cacti as a regular plant dotting the landscape.

As much as I loved seeing and learning about New Mexico culture, traditions and agriculture, my favorite moments were the ones I spent with the people there.

New Mexico FFA is one of the smaller state associations, but their talent and energy are top tier. They were unable to have a fully in-person state convention and instead recorded sessions with a small live audience to be aired for the whole membership later in the summer.

With pipe and drape set up on a carpeted stage in a small church auditorium, cameras and extra lighting galore, the room felt like a combination of a cozy studio recording session and youth group meeting.

As soon as the seats were filled with 25 to 30 family members, friends and past state officers, I was shocked at how suddenly it felt like a convention hall with thousands of people simply because of the energy and passion that the officers and guests brought.

While I often find very few familiar faces when I visit a new state, my time in Las Cruces reunited me with a whole group of past state officers that served the same year I was Illinois FFA state secretary. Along with the current team, these past officers welcomed me to their state with open arms, even those I hadn’t seen in nearly three years.

They included me in their lunch trips to the famous local Mexican food spot, late night runs to Sonic and conversations about what we’ve learned about FFA, agriculture and the world around us since we first met. As the week went on, I started to think more about just how significant it was that these relationships persevered.

How many times do we go to an event and “network,” but all we do is shake hands and exchange numbers? If our networking is simply for the purpose of adding a name to our list and a business card to a stack in our drawer — that we probably forget about most days — we’re probably doing it wrong.

These New Mexico friends were some of the most genuine humans I met from the first day we shook hands to the next time we saw each other, three years later.

We became real friends because we weren’t worrying about raising our perceived status by knowing the most names in the room, but instead we focused on building deep relationships on shared values and humanity. I’m convinced that’s why we could still just pick up a conversation like we never left it, years later and in different roles.

Sydney, Denny and the rest of their past officer cohort contributed to my delightful experience in the southwest because we had been friends before I visited.

The newly retired team, who put on the convention, made my time worthwhile because we built the same kinds of connections that I know, in three years time, will still be as strong.

These officers didn’t try to put on false pretenses of perfection. They took time to have real and meaningful conversations with me about each of our unique perspectives on life and leadership and they welcomed me into their hearts and lives during one of the most stressful and uncertain points in their lives.

They were not only organizing and presenting an entire state convention, but also facing the decision of what to do next with their lives now that the blue corduroy FFA jacket is no longer their compass. It was a distinct honor to be a part of their circle for the week.

How are we seeking to build genuinely meaningful connections when we meet new people? This is not to say that we should try to become best friends with every person we ever meet; in fact, it’s almost the opposite. I believe an emphasis on quality of relationships over quantity of acquaintances is the best way to add value to the people in our lives.

Be friendly to all, but invest time in those new faces where the most genuine and meaningful relationships can be cultivated. Then, when you run into those people again down the road, you’ll be just like Denny and Sydney: kind, genuine and happy to make an old friend feel at home in a new place.

Miriam Hoffman of Earlville, Illinois, is the National FFA eastern region vice president. She is an agribusiness economics major at Southern Illinois University.