Area Future Farmers of America members received a visit from the National FFA President Thaddeus Bergschneider during their Southeast District Conference on Friday, Sept. 19.
“This is the first time in 10 years that a national FFA officer has visited the southeast district in Kansas,” FFA Advisor Zachary Callaghan said. “Most of the time, students only get to see a national officer on stage at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, among 70,000 other FFA members. A one-on-one sitdown with a national officer in Chanute, Kansas, was a rare opportunity for our members.”
In addition to Chanute, students from Cherryvale, Neodesha, and Girard were also present.
Bergschneider was originally a member of the Franklin, Tennessee chapter. He originally didn’t want to be a member of FFA, but his dad, a former FFA member, said he didn’t have a choice. Despite initially not wanting to participate, Bergschneider found a passion in the organization.
In his address to students, Bergschneider discussed overcoming the fear of failure. He highlighted what he calls an embarrassing story from his own life, where he made zero baskets out of 25 in a threepoint contest, during halftime at an all-star game.
He said the fear of failure is part of life, but said he learned how to overcome it while wearing an FFA jacket. He decided to run for state office during his senior year of high school, which required an interview.
“I think the reason we are scared to fail — it’s the outer critics, it’s the inner critics,” Bergschneider said. “It’s the voice in your mind that says, ‘If I fail, that means I’m not good enough.”
Bergschneider said that he was nervous until Illinois FFA Center Director Mindy Bunselmeyer pulled him into a group of other students and shared a quote from Theodore Roosevelt, which changed the way he viewed failure: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, for there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” Bergschneider said since that day, he has never viewed failure the same. He said it is not the end-all or be-all; that the credit does not go to the critics, but to those who give it their all.
“The credit in life goes to the people who are willing to try,” Bergschneider said. “Your worth isn’t whether you succeed or whether you fail, your worth is in your willingness to try.”
He noted that some time later, he was asked to participate in another three-point contest, and managed to score a basket on the last chance to a roaring crowd.
“If there is anything that allows you to succeed in that blue jacket, and in life, it’s being willing to try,” Bergschneider said.
Bergschneider then took questions from the students and welcomed Kansas FFA Treasurer Maggie Chandler to take questions as well. Chandler is originally from Neodesha. She said this trip was her first time returning home to Southeast Kansas since being in office.
Chanute Chapter Secretary Autumn Waggoner said she enjoyed hearing from Bergschneider.
“Even the president goes through challenges and doesn’t always succeed,” Waggoner said. “We don’t see the failures, just the success. So we need to keep trying until we succeed, just like he did.”
Waggoner said her favorite part of FFA is having experiences like the district conference.
“I get to meet new people that I otherwise wouldn’t,” Waggoner said.
Chapter Vice President Mylee Miller said the question and answer session with Bergschneider and Chandler was her favorite part of the conference.
“Something that really stuck out to me was a question that he actually asked us: What is your why? Why are you involved in FFA?” Miller said. “ I have thought about that ever since he said it.”
Miller said her favorite part of being an FFA member is being part of the community.
“We are actually recognized in the community and people know who we are,” Miller said.
Chapter President Wyatt Stephenson said he enjoyed getting feedback from Bergschneider on how to improve his leadership skills.
“Thad is an ordinary human just like all of us, but it’s what he stands for that sets him apart from others,” Stephenson said. “My favorite part about being a part of the Chanute FFA Chapter is getting to go to contests and conventions. The memories I have made hanging out with other members on trips will always give me something to look back on and laugh.”
Callaghan said students benefit from hearing from their peers, or those who have stood in their shoes.
“These types of engagements allow students to see where FFA can take them. When they see a National Officer, someone who has excelled in FFA, that isn’t much older than them, and get to have a genuine conversation with them, it inspires our students to make the most out of their FFA journey,” Callaghan said. “Our students light up when they get to share their FFA interests with like-minded people and are empowered to achieve more.”
Top Photo: National FFA President Thaddeus Bergschneider speaks to students at a recent FFA conference. Bottom Photo: Kansas FFA Treasurer Maggie Chandler answers questions from students during a recent conference. Hannah Emberton | Tribune photos
