First Month on the Job!

First and foremost, thank you. I cannot tell you how excited, and more importantly, grateful I am for this opportunity to serve FFA members. I firmly believe FFA is the most dynamic organization and does more to prepare students for success than any other opportunity. But what makes it even more amazing is those 500,823 blue jackets that stand for values, character, and a commitment to excellence. Thank you for allowing me to serve you.

Our year as a team started on October 27th with each of our names being called to the stage. Words cannot even begin to describe the level of excitement and anticipation leading up to this point. Even more was the relief as I stood on that stage with five amazing teammates knowing what an incredible year lie ahead of us. Saturday evening included time with our parents, teammates, and our states to celebrate. Sunday morning started us off with breakfast with our families for one last meal together and then it was off to orientation with the past team. Beau, Kacy, Jannette, Coty, Jennifer and Jamie did an amazing job of telling us the ins and outs of national officer life and served to remind us that we always have a friend in them. Sunday night our team headed off to the Indiana FFA Center for some team time and a bit of training. This was a great chance to get to know each other and find out more about what our plans for the year entail.

The rest of the week included a short shopping trip (not a favorite of mine, but that's another story), and even more fun, meeting the National FFA Staff. The staff here at the center do a great job of providing resources and ensuring FFA members have everything they need to truly make a difference in their own lives and the lives of others. After some brief orientation on Tuesday to logistical matters, our team headed out to dinner downtown and back to the hotel for some relaxation before the trip home. Wednesday morning we all headed back to our homes, which for me included a slight delay in Charlotte due to mechanical trouble (evidently planes cannot fly with the door open). In Gainesville I was greeted by all of my friends and spent the evening catching up and readjusting to college life for the next month.

Monday, November 19, the South Sumter FFA Chapters (my home chapters) held a dinner in my honor. I was only expecting a few people to show up, but I was indeed honored and moved by the number of people who cared not only about me, but the success of our FFA chapter. I come from a chapter rich in tradition and history so it was great to reconnect with past state and national officers, and to spend time with some amazing South Sumter FFA members.

Thanksgiving in the Revels family is truly a sight to behold. Four generations, 50 people, and two tables of food make for a great day! As this would be my last chance to see a lot of my family for a while, it was great to spend time talking about the year ahead and just being able to relax and be myself. Come Friday though, I was back in Florida Gator mode. Something you will find out about me is that I have five true passions- my faith, my family, my friends, FFA, and FLORIDA GATORS! Friday night was the annual Florida-Florida State Basketball game. We stood in line for a few hours and got great seats, but unfortunately, had to watch the reigning NATIONAL CHAMPION Gators fall to the Noles. Oh well, the best is yet to come. Saturday was the annual matchup of Florida-Florida State in football, which we of course won by a large margin. This was a great last day as a college student and great time to spend with friends.

Sunday brought our team back to Indianapolis for me training. After a short delay in Tampa and a missed flight in Atlanta, I finally arrived in Indy early Monday morning. I won't bore with you all of the details of the next week, but rest assured it involved lots of TRAINING. Learning about piece of the National FFA Organization and finding out more about everyone's roles (including our own) is crucial to a successful year. As the week ended, it was important to reflect back on what we had learned and how we plan to carry this out through the year. Tune in next time for the California Agriculture Tour!