By Julia Marie Schmitt AIFD, CFD, PFCI, Chair of AIFD Career Development Committee
For members of AIFD® sharing our passion for our profession is just what we do. For many of us, the fruit of our labor is seldom seen as we spend our efforts planting seeds so that someone else can help them grow. But, once in a while, we are given the gift to reap what we sow. For me, that has happened thanks to being involved with the AIFD® Career Development Committee, FFA and helping my home state FFA team win the 2021 FFA National Floriculture Championship.
Due to AIFD’s annual involvement with judging the floriculture competitions in Indianapolis, IN, I met in 2019 Amanda Haeberlin, the Ag Teacher and FFA instructor at Palmyra High School in rural Missouri. And like all good AIFD® members, I handed her my business card and said if she ever needs help with a team, give me a call. Wouldn’t you know it, this past April my phone rang, and I was asked if I was still interested in helping the Missouri FFA State Champions to prepare for Nationals in Indianapolis. That was the quickest YES you could imagine!
At our first meeting, I asked Amanda what her goals where for this team. Her response was to place in the top 3. Her team, comprised of what she describes as “four oh so teenage Senior boys who are really hard workers,” told her: “if we are going to try to place then we might as well try to win!” These young men, who enjoy shooting you with rubber bands, riding toy tractors around the classroom and wearing funky hats, were put together and competing since freshmen year on different competitive teams. “They were super competitive and enjoyed being together, working together and goofing off,” explains Amanda.
Thus, the team of Evan, Ji, AJ, and Tim began an intensive summer program of 2 plus days a week of practice and educational sessions to prepare for Nationals. “The AIFD® resources were really helpful,” shares Amanda. “We watched the AIFD® Design videos created for FFA, and used the AIFD® textbook that was handed out at Nationals in 2019. Also, what was super helpful was the Virtual 2021 Bring FFA to AIFD® workshop in September. The boys learned how to do some fancy corsage work which really helped in team activity at Nationals where they had to create traditional and high-end corsages and boutonnieres for an FFA fund raiser. Plus, having someone like Julia, who is an AIFD® member and FFA National Judge, helped us by providing knowledge in a way that I can’t give them.”
After months of intense practicing, and with floral scissors in hand, a very nervous team headed to Indianapolis to compete in 4 different tasks – team activity, individual design, growing procedure and one-on-one sales. And to keep them calm, Amanda gifted them with nerf guns. Apparently, the nerf gun wars did the trick because the boys from tiny Palmyra, Missouri won the FFA National Floriculture Championship, with each team member winning gold metals, and Tim taking 4th overall, Evan 2nd overall and Ji taking first place, which he states was “pretty cool.” “We never really thought about competing against each other,” comments Tim. “We just all needed to do well for the team to win.” “When it was announced that Evan had won second place, you should have seen the genuine congratulations and excitement for his teammate Ji who took first,” shares Amanda with tears welling up in her eyes. “Evan has never lost a competition until this Nationals. But he was so happy for Ji.”
Thanks to winning Nationals, the boys were awarded Scholarships, as well as being invited to travel to the Netherlands. “We aren’t used to being in the lime-light,” explains Evan. “But it definitely gives you a sense of pride.” Tim shares, “thanks to winning, when I was competing for a spot to represent Missouri for a US Senate program for high schoolers, I was able to answer the question, how have you represented Missouri, by responding that I was a member of the FFA team from Missouri that won the National FFA Championship.” For AJ, “it was beating my dad whose team had come in 2nd when he was in FFA years ago.” Learning that hard work, dedication, and team building truly do pay off, these small-town heroes are now preparing for college. With Evan planning on studying Zoology, Tim Political Science, and AJ and Ji engineering, their futures are looking bright and one day, we hope their roads will lead back to Agriculture and the floral industry. And for Amanda, well, she promised the boys if they won, they could pick out her next tattoo and she is anxiously waiting to see what they decide!
