Memories, friends, and fun are three of the many things that come to mind as I reflect on this past year. On June 13^th my state officer teammates and I moved into the California FFA Center. It was this day I realized I had the wonderful opportunity of spending this year with 5 amazing individuals.

 We started off the year with Blast-Off training. Our awesome trainer, Seth, taught us so much about ourselves and what to expect during our year of service. We also attended a Sacramento Rivercats game and took numerous trips to one of my favorite places, In N Out burger.

After a great week it was time for our next stop, Utah! for NLCSO. During the week we learned so much about working together as a team.  We made many new friends from numerous other state officer teams. I will never forget the beautiful (but very exhausting) 4 mile hike we went on with Nessie and Hannah in Bryce Canyon. We then drove back to California with a pit stop in Arizona to celebrate the 4^th of July. We spent the day touring the Grand Canyon, taking pictures, and making funny videos. We also saw a beautiful firework show in Flagstaff and ate at some delicious restaurants. It was an amazing 4^th even if we did get caught in a rain storm!

We spent the next week at Bass Lake for the Regional Officer Leadership Conference. It was so awesome seeing all of the regional officers. Each of them truly are amazing individuals and it was great creating friendships with each of them. Whether it was participating in team building activities, attending workshops, or socializing at the conference luau, it was 4 full days of laughter, growth, and excitement. It was then off to the Superior Region SOLS at Mrs. Sturzen’s house. Meeting all of the sectional officers was so fun! We spent the 2 days hanging out by the pool, jumping on the trampoline,  and camping outside. We then headed south for the Southern Region SOLS at Cal Poly Pomona. It was so neat seeing all of the sectional officers taking pride in their section. I will never forget all of the funny stories the officers shared during team time.

Over the course of this year, my teammates and I have also been traveling to many different industry tours to gain more knowledge about the agriculture industry. One of my favorite visits was with the EAT Foundation. We learned a variety of things about the industry and met so many great people over the 3 days. We also had the wonderful opportunity of staying with the Toss Family. They were so welcoming and it was really nice to see the passion they have for the agriculture industry. After the foundation tour, it was then off to Exeter High School for a weekend full of excitement at the San Joaquin Region SOLS. We played many intense games of Ninja and had a super fun volleyball tournament! Unfortunately, the regional officers beat us 3 times that night…

We have officially begun our journey of chapter visits! Our first visit was at Chico High School with students from numerous schools around the area. I had the great opportunity to eat some delicious pizza with 5 really cool girls and connect with many awesome members. We then had our second chapter visit at Pleasant Grove High School. We spent the night before with the Quinn family playing volleyball and bocce ball and getting to know the family. I will never forget all the laughs we had Kyle, Karli, and Riley. Our latest chapter visit was at San Luis Obispo High School where Tatiana and I presented a lesson on agriculture literacy. We hope all of the students gained something valuable and were motivated to become more involved in the FFA.

Looking back on all of these events, it makes me realize this year of service has truly been one of the greatest years of my life. I have met so many amazing members who are excited to be a part of such a great organization. I feel so thankful that I have this year to make an impact and inspire students to leave their legacy. Abraham Lincoln once said “The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.” Having only a little bit more than half of this year left, I want to make sure I cherish all of the wonderful times my teammates and I have together. I’m so excited to create more memories, friends, and fun.