Round 2

Well, I guess that wasn't my last post after all.  I have an announcement to make:

I've been thinking about running for National Office again for a long time...like, since last National Convention, really.  But in the last few weeks, I've thought about it non-stop. And even though I hadn't made up my mind about it yet, I couldn't pack away my jacket or any of my study materials.  Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I really, really wanted another shot at it.

But in the front of my mind was fear, and a lot of it.  I was naive last time around about how it would feel to not be selected, and now that I know exactly how it feels, I'm terrified to feel it again.  It was harder than I thought it would be to pick myself up off the ground and deal with that tremendous disappointment.  So I would tell everyone I was still thinking about running, without making any commitment.

Two weeks ago, I decided it was time to figure out what I should do and I took the matter to the Lord.  I studied my scriptures searching for answers, I fasted, I prayed...and I felt like I wasn't getting an answer at all, at least not one that I liked.  My question was, "Should I run for National Office again?" and the answer I got was, "Do whatever you think you should do."  And then I got scared again.  I called my mom and told her how scared I was of the future and of failure...and of my biggest insecurity: that if I am not selected once again, I will not be able to handle it.  She, wisely, said that was stupid, that I would be fine and probably be more equipped now to deal with it than last year.

That night I studied my scriptures again, but I wasn't expecting to find an answer.  And I didn't- not to the question I thought I was asking at least.  I did get an answer to my deepest fear though, in Phillippians 4:13

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." 

I realized then that if I wanted to run again, I would have the strength to do so.  And I decided to think on it some more.

Yesterday, I spoke with Rayne for a long time about all my insecurities, I said that I probably would run...that I knew that I would decide to run, eventually,  but just hadn't realized it yet (if that makes any sense.)  When I got off the phone though, I couldn't stop myself from thinking about my plans for this summer and how I would study for National Office...and I felt happy, and satisfied, and excited.  And I realized that I had just decided.

In the book "Improv," Mick Napier introduces a concept called "forsaking your fear."  (That's edited- he actually uses an inappropriate word...but you get the idea.)  I kept thinking about that last night and how if you don't forsake your fear, you don't get anywhere in improv.  How true that is for me in my life right now: if I don't just let go of everything I'm afraid of, I'll never run for National Office again and I'll always regret it.

I was still a little nervous about my sudden decision, and told myself that in the morning, if I could write my decision out for the world to see, on flip charts, then I would have truly made up my mind.

World, you've seen the flip charts now.  I've decided.  I'm doing it, again.  


And I'm totally stoked. :)

What a Weekend...

Hey all!
I am back from Minnesota!  I had a fabulous idea to blog every evening about what I had done that day, so as not to forget it...but then I realized I was exhausted every evening, and even went to bed at 9 last night...though I woke up when my roommates came home half an hour later. :)

But now that I am back, I will record all that I can remember, starting with Friday.

My Friday started at around 7, when Wyatt DeJong from South Dakota picked me up and we made our way to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.  We were met there by Katie Zenk from Minnesota, Eric Sawatzke, the Dassel-Cokato Minnesota agriculture teacher who organized the event, and two of Mr. Sawatzke's freshman students: Joel and Evan.  Then after getting our visitor passes (very fancy!) we went upstairs to a conference room with Agriculture in the Classroom coordinator Al Withers.

We first heard from Mr. Withers about the importance of agricultural literacy in society at any age.  After Mr. Withers brief remarks, we embarked on a day of presentations about agricultural issues.  Mr. Withers expected a lot of us and encouraged us to ask the presenters questions so that we could get what we needed out of each presentation, and I really appreciated that.  It forced me to be more confident!

The first meeting was about Livestock Development and Animal Agriculture Issues.  I learned quite a bit about how animal agriculture is dealing with issues raised by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).  Just learning more about these issues increases my desire to become an effective communicator for the agricultural industry!  I understand more now that agriculture- commercial, organic, small farmers and industrial farmers, farmers who support ethanol and those who don't- need to ban together to promote agriculture as a whole.  And the one great thing I learned is- I need to learn more about these types of issues so I can more effectively discuss them!

The second meeting was with the director of Dairy and Food Inspection Division and we discussed Keeping Food Safe.  We discussed how different types of salmonella infects food, and how food safety needs to come from legislation and self-policing.  I also learned about the "raw milk movement," something I didn't really know existed, and how agricultural communicators need to target the "raw milk curious" in telling the story of the scientific facts surrounding the safety (or lack there of) of raw milk.  I never even realized raw milk was so dangerous, as I grew up drinking it, and that reminds me, I need to ask my mom if she was trying to kill us all with E.coli.  :)

After a quick break, we heard from the a member of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture staff about Social Media in Today's Agriculture.  Being a communications junkie...I'd have to say this was my favorite presentation of the day!  I learned so much about how the agricultural industry is using (or isn't using!) social media to target specific audiences and to tell their story.  I loved the example used about the support Yellow Tail Wine gave to HSUS and the Facebook backlash that was the result.  It gave me more hope about the difference we can make in policy and in public perception through communication.

After that we talked about Environmental Policy and Water Quality.  This presentation was pretty interesting because of the amount of rain Minnesota had been getting in the last few days.  At one point the presenter flipped a glass vial of clear water over so that we could see how contaminated it was, and I was shocked!  I think more than anything it was good to be exposed to a different kind of agriculture and the other careers available in the environmental sciences.

Minnesota Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture ended the day with a few words of advice.  I loved hearing her story about how FFA gave her a career pathway in agriculture even though she was never a "farm kid."  I also loved one of the things she told us:

"Be readers and be leaders.  You never know who's watching."

After leaving the Department of Agriculture, we made a brief stop at the FFA Leadership Center and the Miracle of Birth Center at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.  I could only imagine what that big building looks like full of pregnant animals- but I'm sure it would be an impressive thing to see in reality sometime!

Then we headed to the University of Minnesota to eat pizza and meet with Dr. Leising about the pros and cons of program affiliation.  This was another one or my favorite parts of the day, because I felt very comfortable and confident with my knowledge of program affiliation, but also got a much better handle on why some advisors are wary of the new program.

After a stop to change out of our official dress, Jessica (who met up with us at the Department of Ag around 11) and I hopped into Wyatt's car to drive to Hutchinson High School, about an hour or so away.  We had the opportunity to talk a lot about how we had been preparing for National Office, what we enjoyed most about National Office, and what kind of FFA programs we'd been involved with in the past.  We also had the opportunity to pick Wyatt's brain about what the process at National Convention is really like- since he ran last year.  And we talked about some fun stuff- like what kind of beverages we prefer with popcorn. :)

When we arrived at Hutchinson we had an open forum discussion with local and current high school ag teachers to discuss the different hot topics for essays and stand and delivers.  I learned a lot I didn't know- like that the National FFA no longer offers that H.O. Sargent award!  I also learned a little bit about the Perkin's Technical Skills Attainment exam- enough to know that I needed to know more about that.  That became even more obvious the next day...but that story is for my next blog posting.  

After the forum discussion we had a dinner with the Minnesota FFA Alumni.  It was a great casual opportunity to meet with many different people, including FFA members, legislators, and farm bureau personnel.  I realize I need to be more proactive about getting people to talk about themselves, but I got a lot of really good advice and learned a lot from the people I met.  We stayed and visited for quite a while!

One thing I reflected on Friday night was that no matter what happens, I can make a difference and use my leadership skills in the next year, and I'm prepared to do so.  I also liked some advice from a former National Officer Candidate about the process:

"Sell yourself.  You need to act like, 'I don't need to be a National Officer, but the National FFA Organziation needs me on their National Officer team!"

I felt really good about everything that night, and still (inexplicably!) confident.  I know I need to work on my knowledge of agricultural issues, but I feel validated in that I have a good knowledge of program affiliation and the other hot topics.  

There goes Day 1.  Day 2 gets its own blog post next, so stay tuned. Also- I'm so fired up about convention! It's coming so fast, but I say bring it on! Come that week, I'll be as ready as I could hope to be.  But until then, my every spare minute is going to prep!  I only have four more hours until I've reached 400 hours.  I probably won't make it to 500, but my goal range was 300-500, so I still feel good about where I'll be.

Have a great Monday!   I get a double dose of improv tonight, so I know I will.
Rachel

Just to Catch You Up...

Man, what a whirlwind the past few weeks have been.  My mom was in town this weekend, and yesterday when I asked what the date was, she said:

"September 19.  Wow, that means you only have a month left until you run!"

Less than a month actually- yikes!  I have so much to do!  I've been researching hot topics like crazy.  I met with the beauty pageant coach, Cindy Parry, who was so helpful and kind, and I'll meet with her a few more times as well.  I've done some more work with Rayne on interview questions, and now I just need to compile all my good stories on one page.  I'm working with Jimmy on doing Hot Topic speeches!  And the Alpha Tau Alpha has asked me to give them a workshop on Civic Engagement on October 7th.

But this week I get the ultimate "where am I?" check-up, in the form of a National Officer Candidate Training Weekend!  I leave for Minnesota Thursday night, and I'll get to meet four other candidates.  Friday we'll be at the Minnesota Division of Agriculture, and Saturday we go through the whole process- or at least, most of the process.  I fully expect to come back overwhelmed and insecure, but at least I'll have a lot of really good feedback.

I'm in overdrive- I'm trying to focus on spending all my extra time studying, since I don't have a lot of time left.  I've logged 350 hours now, even though I didn't get many hours in last week due to a death in the family, which can't be helped.  But the fact is, what I need to remember, is that I've done most of the important work already.  Now I can only immerse myself in facts and hope they stick, but ultimately I'm ready.  I feel that I am the best I can be and I've worked as hard as I could- so if they like me, and if it's right, I'll be selected.

Mom gave me some great advice when I dropped her off at the airport yesterday that I want to remember.  She said:

Don't get too stressed out over this.  It doesn't really matter whether you are selected or not. If they don't choose you, that doesn't make you any less of a great person, and if they do choose you, it doesn't mean you're any better.  You're just you, no matter what happens.  

Hot Topics are calling my name- peace out!

Rachel

Inch By Inch

Hey everyone,
Last night was a late night, but not because I was working on my resume.  At least not consciously.  I got into bed at 11, but I didn't fall asleep until after 12:30, and I didn't sleep well after that.  I felt so nervous about the selection process!

Which is probably is a good indicator that I will be a nervous wreck come National Convention.  I don't like looking at the counter I put on this blog anymore.  I liked it when National Convention was 2 or 3 hundred days away- I felt like I had all the time in the world.  But now- 70 days!  How am I going to pull this off?  Can I really pull this off?

On one hand, I really have made a huge amount of progress since November.  I'm a totally different person now.  I am confident that I can present myself well to the nominating committee.

On the other hand...I have sooo much left to do!  I have to tackle those Hot Topics, I've got to do some serious research, I've got to read the dozens of books on my bookshelf, I've got to write more speeches, I've got to do some facilitation practice, I've got to study more for the written exam, I've got to meet with a make-up and beauty coach, I've got to get brand spanking new Official Dress...I'm swamped.  Everyday I study and I feel like I'm digging a hole- everytime I get a shovelfull of dirt out, more dirt falls in on top of me.  Ah!

I take solace in knowing this is how it's supposed to feel. (like being buried alive, I guess.)  I knew it would be this way when I started this craziness. And if I didn't feel overwhelmed, I wouldn't be working hard enough!

For tonight, let's be positive and look at what I have done.  First off= 300 hours!  I'm really proud of that and I'm glad I've been tracking my hours, so that I can celebrate these small milestones.  Now- how to celebrate it?  Would anyone who has yet to see Inception like to go with me?


Also, I really am almost finished with my application.  Which is fantastic, as I found out it actually isn't due until Tuesday (as opposed to Saturday, like I thought).  That doesn't mean I'm going to slack off, it just gives me some extra hours to perfect.  I'm close to perfection on my letter of application and my resume just needs some easy editing.  Phew! 


Plus, let's not forget my American Degree!  And all the public speaking I've done this summer!  And all the farmers I've interviewed (like Arthur Keyes today).  And the fact that everyone is so encouraging!


Enough pumping myself up- Version 9 is begging to be edited and I must comply.  I gave a speech at the LIONs club today.  I'll fill you in on how it went later.
Rachel

Awesome Numbers

Hey everybody!
Let's just get to it, shall we?  This week had a lot of cool numbers in it!

I look fantastic in Official Dress. :)

My speech at the South Anchorage Rotary went well on Thursday- at least I feel like it did.  There were about 70 people there, which made me nervous, but I got a standing ovation and a woman tried to offer me her son's hand in marriage...so I'd say those are good indicators of success. :)  But I felt really good about it as well.  I just watched the recording of it yesterday, and I was pleased.  I added some new material but didn't forget any of it, and I included only four U-Ms.  (that's a word I'm not allowed to say anymore.  I owe Rayne ten cents every time I do, so far we're up to $1.20.)  I've enlisted my mom to listen to it and give me harsher criticism as well.  I know I need to work on using the stage better and  on answering questions s-l-o-w-l-y.  But overall I think it went really well.  I got a business card from a woman who is the president of Toast Masters in Anchorage, so I think I'll try to get into Anchorage and check them out one of these days.

And thanks to that speech, and the other studying I've been doing (of course) I did another 50 hours in just three weeks!  That's 250 in all!  And that's half way to my goal of 500!  Hip hip hooray for me!

As for today, I took the day off of work and am having a study marathon.  I just spent a good chunk of time calling people to schedule speaking opportunities.  That is really hard for me, I'm discovering I'm not a very good self-promoter.  Anyone reading this though, seriously- I'm looking for places to give speeches!  And to give workshops especially.  So if you know of any, call me at 907-355-1685 and let me know.  You'd be my hero.

And one last, totally fantastic, really big number: 520,000.  That's the number that the National FFA estimates will be exceeded by the 2009-2010 membership tally (which doesn't officially end until August 31st)...and it's an all-time membership high!  This number  marks an increase of over 10,000 members since the last record, which was set in 1977.  I'm totally thrilled about this, guys, can you tell?  You can read the official press release here, if you're interested.

Have an awesome Wednesday, and I'll be here, still studying. :)
Rachel

Did you miss me?

Yeah, sure you did.  Sorry for the long break in blogging.  I can explain why with just two words:

200 hours!

Thanks to some awesome hours racked up last week, I am well on my way to my goal and I am pumped.  I've been really busy, last week I spent most of my waking moments writing, editing, and memorizing a speech for the Rotary club, and then about 20 minutes giving it, of course.

Then on Friday Rayne and I had an all day study jam.  It was awesome, we talked about a lot of stuff, watched and critiqued the video of my speech, and then spent about four hours exploring and learning about Spring Creek Farm, which is this huge hog operation only a few miles down the road from my house!  And they had steers, bison, yak, and even an elk.  It was great.  Rayne took like 300 pictures (literally) so I'll get a few up here soon.  I had a great time.  Who knew preparation could be so fun?

The fun is good, it balances the feeling of being overwhelmed.  Like the feeling I have about filling out my American Degree application- it's so huge and confusing!  I have to keep reminding myself that it's worth it though, because my American Degree is separate from running for National Office- it's something that I'm going to achieve for sure!  So no matter what happens running for National Office, I'll leave this convention with a key on my chain, and that's an awesome accomplishment in and of itself.

For some reason, I thought the hot topics for my speech, writing assignment, and facilitation round weren't going to be released until August 1st- but I just found that they're up already!  How awesome is that?  Seriously awesome, I'd say.

So, today's the first day of June, and I need a new goal.  I'm sure that there are a million things I need to work on, but I can't think of anything right now...suggestions?  Rayne reminded me the other day that I shouldn't be preparing to run but preparing to be.  So what's a good quality for a National Officer to have that I can focus on developing for a month?  Let me know if you have any spectacular ideas.

One more thing- check out what came in the mail the other day....

I'm stoked. :)

What I Miss Today:

Well the FFA Convention is either over, or ending, right now.  I wish I was there so bad!  Seeing these pictures Rayne posted on Facebook made me really think about the convention...it feels like it didn't happen, because I've been here worrying about school instead of running around the depot and feeling like I'm going to explode from stress.

Man, I love FFA so much!  Just seeing all these guys in their FFA jackets, that I've gotten to know and love, fills me with a sense of...I don't know what....pride?  People say we're from Alaska, there isn't agriculture here, etc. but I know these kids and I know what they're capable of, and I know the FFA program can bring out their leadership potential.

Ah!  I miss Alaska.  I think I'm just going to start a new leadership book and then go to bed, try to keep my mind off of things.  Only 2 weeks left until I'm home!

--Rachel

Oh wait!  PS, guess what?  I've done another

50 Hours! 

of study as of Thursday!  That's 150 altogether.  It seems like it's taken a long time, and it has taken 7 weeks...but hey, it's something to celebrate.  I think I'm going out to lunch with my dorm mates at the Indian Oven to "celebrate life" tomorrow, and this 50 hours is something on my list to celebrate!  50 hours closer to my goal of 500...here I come...


PPS- Mom just texted me and said Palmer won the Parli Pro contest!  Awesome job guys, I can't wait to practice with you this summer!

Something to celebrate, "The Politics of Sustainable Agriculture," and applications

Hey everyone,
This week has been busy in all my classes, so I didn't get the chance to study as much as I wanted to.  Oh well, it happens.  I did get a chance to have another video conference with Rayne though, and that was helpful as always.

But before I get too far into this post, it's time to tell you that I'm making progress!  Last week I totaled the hours in my study log, and I've officially studied...

100 Hours!

That may sound unimpressive, but it's a big deal for me.  I'm going to celebrate that, and another milestone (my successful campaign against my bad habit of biting my fingernails) by getting a manicure. :)

This week I had the opportunity to attend an interesting lecture by an extension agent with Iowa State University whose name I can't recall (I wish I could!  Ug!)  His lecture was entitled "The Politics of Sustainable Agriculture" and I found it very intriguing.  He spent a lot of time talking about organics, and I didn't necessarily agree with everything he said, but I really liked that he said that sustainable/alternative/diversitfied agriculture and conventional agriculture need to focus on what they have in common, and not the perceived fringe of discontentment.  He also mentioned USDA Secretary Tom Vilsak working with Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan to represent all forms of agriculture.  (For those of you who don't know, Vilsack is really into biotechnology, while Merrigan is all about organics).  It reminded me of this article I saw about the confusion the ag community has over their policies.  Check it out: http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=BA337E32-18FE-70B2-A8813032EC1C4DC6.

I think that Vilsack was smart in appointing Merrigan: the ag community needs to realize that whether they focus on small farms or large, it's all agriculture, and deserves equal representation.

I started looking through my American Degree application this week...that is one complex document.  It had large words that scared me.  I may back down on that until I'm home and can get help from my parents with the intense subjects of pre-exisitng inventory and tax forms.

Have an awesome week everyone!

Rachel
PS- If anybody's reading this...you are welcome to leave comments.  Comments boost my self esteem. :)