FFA Personal Statement

I am Kristianne Dowd and I am currently in my third year as an Agriculture and Food Systems major with a minor in Science Teacher Education. I am one of four other students that have aspirations to become an agricultural educator after college. At the New Jersey State FFA Convention in 2012, there was a luncheon held by various Rutgers University staff. There I was informed of the opportunity to attend Rutgers University in order to receive my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree within 5 years with a focus on Agricultural Sciences. During the Rutgers University application program I had applied with the intent to major in Agriculture and Food Systems with the desire to participate in the 5-year track to earn a Master’s Degree in Education.

During my highschool career, I have been apart of many groups that one might not commonly associate with each other. I am currently apart of the Waxahachie chapter of the FFA, the Waxahachie Theatre Arts Program, and the Waxahachie Swim Team. These organizations are not commonly associated with one another, and it is due to the types of people who take part in each. Being apart of all of these groups has prepared me for my future goals by allowing me to work with several different groups of people, and they have taught me many different life lessons which will help me to succeed in accomplishing my lifetime goals. Our FFA chapter has a greenhouse that I currently manage.

I have grown up on my family farm outside of Albert Lea MN for my whole life. I have always taken a special interest in the beef cattle on our farm. I currently manage all of the herd records, and own part of the business. Throughout my SAE project through FFA, I started my own herd as well. I work extremely hard on our farm with the beef chores. I also help out with the crop farming on my farm by running tractors and watching bins. Because I have such an interest in cattle, I started working on a dairy farm two years ago. I currently milk 150 cows before, and after school everyday. I take a lot of time with my school studies as well. I maintain a 4.0 even while taking numerous college classes, and working. One of my greatest passions while in school has been FFA. I have served as the historian and the President of our

Throughout my high school career, my time in Lemoore FFA never had a dull moment, in fact, my involvement in our FFA activities has been the highlight of my high school experience. The start to an encouraging experience within the Lemoore FFA chapter began my freshman year. As a freshman, not only was I given a pocket protector in my Intro to Ag Class, but I was introduced to what the FFA had to offer. I was privileged to be a part of the Greenhand Officer team serving as the Historian. Although the Historian is not a constitutionally required position, being an officer gave me the opportunity to both improve my public speaking skills and a chance to participate in two opening closing contests that year.

Living on a farm and interacting with a rural community has allowed me to understand a wide range of perspectives. Through raising animals, I have learned both responsibility and patience. AS a freshman in high school, I participated in FFA (Future Farmers of America) and I did not know I would want to pursue a career in the environmental field. FFA allowed me to interact with farmers, learn how our food is grown and understand what farmer’s opinions were on environmental policies.  

My involvement in extracurricular activities has helped me grow as a person over the past four years of high school. I have learned how to be more responsible, reliable, as well as how to be a team player and work well with others. I enjoyed playing softball and CYO volleyball and basketball. I knew it was not just about the game I was also about the people. I did my best to help my teammates.

My senior year is the grand conclusion to four amazing years of my high school life. My plans are to attend an in-state university to pursue a degree in Computer Engineering and Informational Technologies. Technology has always been an interest of mine ever since I can remember--as a kid I would tear apart computers just to see how they worked. That spark of interest inspired my love for technology and made me want to pursue it as a career.

Since I moved to Waukesha when I was just five years old, I have learned to appreciate and get involved in several ways around this city. Recently, however, I got accepted to my dream school; UW-Madison. I was ecstatic to finally have the opportunity to leave the town I had spent almost all of my life in and start a new chapter somewhere else.

Encouraging and inspiring young minds have always been one of my favorite activities. In the past 4 years, I have had the opportunity to influence and teach new and upcoming FFA members. Such a contingency has been a responsibility not taken lightly by myself. Not only have I been teaching, I have. been learning alongside them. These young adults have taught me how to be a better leader and educator.

As a senior in high school, I have been questioned about where I am going to school and what degree I plan on getting. Up until about November of 2015, I was very indecisive. I was torn between a career in healthcare and what I knew I was passionate about. I wanted to be a teacher. I have taken health care classes since my freshman year of high school.

In this day and age, less than 2% of people in the United States is involved in the production of food for the remaining 98% of citizens in the country. Among discussions occurring in the 2%, one common topic is a lack of education about agriculture in the general public. Prior to high school, I am ashamed to admit, but I was one of the people who would have answered that my milk came from a grocery store. As a project one year, I went to the grocery store and interviewed shoppers as to their knowledge about agriculture. Many of them had a similar belief as I once had, food starts at the grocery store. Upon my entrance into high school, I quickly became involved in the National FFA Organization. Many of my family members gave me crazy looks

My choice to attend FIU was one of the easier ones I’ve made so far in my academic career. I was drawn to the university as I felt a sense of community here that has only been further enhanced as a legacy, with both my mother and stepfather having completed their Bachelor degrees at this institution. The relationships and connections my parents were able to build here were a testament to FIU’s ability to bring together people from so many different backgrounds and create a family. I experienced an even greater connection as my stepfather found a lifelong friendship and mentor in an FIU staff member and honored him by making him the godfather of one of my younger brothers. Thus, FIU has been a special part of my life even before college was

Education is a powerful tool and, when used correctly, it has the power to teach someone a new skill, transform his or her perspective, and encourage personal growth and development. Throughout this country, numerous agricultural education programs help students to learn more about and deepen their understanding of one of this nation’s most valuable industries: the agricultural industry. Most importantly, these programs play a major role in helping to combat the lack of

When it’s time to starting making solid decisions about enrolling in college, many people have questions about how to choose a college major. Selecting a

As a senior in high school I was under a lot of pressure to attend college. Back then my original plan was to keep the job I had at the local pharmacy in Upper Arlington and continue to write and perform music. My parents were supportive of this, but my teachers eventually persuaded me to apply to Marshall University, where I began my college education just 3 weeks after my high school graduation. Being a student was never exactly my strong point, and having little to no interest in absolutely any subject besides music or history made it all the more stressful when trying to decide on a major that led to a decent job market. Since my greatest academic interest lies in culture and history, I eventually decided I would major in anthropology.