By Rick Swenson
FFA Chapter Advisor
State FFA Convention 2021 – What a week!!! I may be somewhat late to the party with my comments for this week, however, I wanted to take some time and reflect on the amazing job these young kids did.
In the moment, those two-and-a-half days are kind of a whirlwind of emotions, anxiety, excitement, enthusiasm and nerves . . . followed by pure exhaustion.
When you consider that we qualified 11 competitions, composed of all six grade levels, won seven state championships and two state runner ups, most would consider those feats a successful career as an FFA Advisor.
I have said this many times and will repeat it here: I am the lucky one. I have the privilege and honor of working with some of the finest young people our country has to offer.
Their dedication to excellence is unmatched. Their commitment to succeed is second to none.
Their willingness to help, to lead, to inspire one another is not only remarkable but a true testament to their devotion to make the Montezuma FFA and its members the best of the best.
Our success this past week was truly a team effort.
From the amazing chaperones and their willingness to give of themselves and cater to the needs of the kids and preparing them for competition is one of our keys to success. I cannot thank Allison Pargeon, Marinda De Jong, Marie Boulton, Harold Wheeler and my better half (MOJO 50) for all of their help and assistance. Words cannot express my sincere appreciation and gratitude for helping make this possible.
People always ask why we are successful. My answer: It is a Montezuma thing.
When you have a school, a community and parents willing to sell out and support our “kids” the way Montezuma does, anything is possible!!! And without a doubt, Montezuma does it better than anybody – and this is another key ingredient to our success.
Thank you so much for your support and allowing me to be a part of it!!!
Our underclassmen were incredible. For the vast majority of them, this was their first time at being under the bright lights and they did not disappoint.
They set their goals high, reached for the stars and in the end . . . shined brighter than the brightest star. I could not be prouder of their accomplishments.
From our seventh graders through our juniors, they rose to the occasion, put on their game faces, set aside their nerves and saved their best for last. Without a doubt – the true mark a champion! With these young kids – the future of the Montezuma FFA will be in good hands.
One of my least favorite tasks as their coach is making some tough decisions. We are blessed with so many kids wanting to compete that we just cannot find slots for everyone.
In the end, some have to be alternates. It would be easy for this group to sulk and walk away – but this is not the case in Montezuma!!!
Another key reason for our success is the work that all “team” members contribute. These kids work their tails off, push their teammates to get better, and in the end are a large part of our success. Their work goes unnoticed by many, however, your teammates and I are extremely thankful and appreciative of your efforts.
At the end of the day though, this story is truly about our seniors. What a group!!! From the day this group walked through the ag room door for the first time, I knew great things were not far behind, and you never disappointed.
You have had your share of ups and downs and never once did you waiver or question why. You simply kept moving forward, looked for the next challenge and set out to conquer all your obstacles.
In many instances, I questioned and wondered why and how you kept going. Your FFA careers were interrupted and you lost out on so many opportunities – it would have been easy to give up.
Instead, you rose to the challenge and always looked at the glass as being half full. A true testament of your character, leadership and commitment to be the best of the best. What a statement you made and I cannot think of any group that is more deserving!