AFRE undergrads lead the 97th Michigan FFA Convention
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EmailGretchen Gautz and Sara Dammann are agribusiness management students who also spent the last year serving as Michigan FFA State Officers.
Sara Dammann and Gretchen Gautz, two students majoring in Agribusiness Management (ABM) with the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE) are currently serving as State Officers in the Michigan FFA Association, a unique experience only afforded to 10 individuals in Michigan each year.
For the past year, Dammann and Gautz, have traveled approximately 15,000 miles around the state; met with leaders in business, government, and education; visited approximately 25 schools; and participated in leadership experiences in Washington D.C. and Indianapolis. Their year of service led to a culminating event March 5-7 on Michigan State University’s (MSU) campus, where, along with their teammates, they put on the 97th Michigan FFA State Convention for nearly 2000 people.
At the convention, Dammann and Gautz also had the opportunity to deliver what is known as a retiring address. This is a farewell message that State Officers in FFA deliver to convention attendees. The message is meant to be motivational, engaging and inspirational. Dammann and Gautz were paired together to deliver their retiring address.
“Sara and I had a conversation about what we wanted our message to be to the members and what impact we wanted to leave,” Gautz said.
“[We] wanted to open members’ eyes to their life-changing potential in a fun and engaging way,” Dammann added. “We worked to incorporate both these aspects into writing with purpose and audience interactions.”
Over the course of the three day event, Damman and Gautz hosted sessions, presented many awards to Michigan high school students, and entertained convention attendees with a variety of activities, speeches, and performances.
“State convention was both exhilarating and fulfilling,” Dammann shared. “Whether it was my lightsaber battle with Gretchen during session six or the privilege of congratulating each of the 1,000+ degree recipients as they walked off-stage, in every moment, I was honored that I could share and exemplify the joy of our members’ accomplishments.”
Dammann and Gautz maintained this year-long busy schedule while still pursuing their academic work in AFRE for different reasons. Gautz, from Adrian, Michigan, grew up around agriculture and for her it was no question about her future and her degree.
“I always knew I was going to stay in the agriculture industry,” Gaut shared. “I found an interest in the farm bureau company and led to my decision to join AFRE.”
Dammann, on the other hand, found her way to AFRE’s ABM program and excelled in her FFA experiences without having a traditional agricultural background.
“Growing up in a non-agricultural background, I never thought my future would be in the agricultural industry,” Dammann explained. “However, during my junior year of high school, I competed in the FFA Prepared Public Speaking contest with the topic of foreign investment in United States agricultural land. Through this contest, I discovered my passion for agricultural policy and advocacy as I spent hours researching the latest legislation and sharing my findings with others. I now pursue dual degrees in Agribusiness Management and Public Policy.”
After their service in FFA, both of them will pursue internship experiences that will enhance their educational experiences within AFRE. Damman will also be recognized on April 8 at the AFRE Awards Program as a recipient of the Harry A. Foster Scholarship, as well as the Redmond and Edna Cotter Agribusiness Scholarship.
