On Dec. 12, 2019, freshman Adriana Sosa went to a district FFA (Future Farmers of America) competition. Sosa started FFA in middle school and found a real passion for the animals, the people, and the leadership opportunities.   

“I love FFA because it encourages me to want to make a difference in my community,” Sosa said. “It inspires me and teaches me leadership and respect. I enjoy meeting new FFA people all the time, and doing the things I love.”

  In elementary school, Sosa was in four-H, an outside of school FFA program that showed animals and took care of livestock, inspiring her to join FFA in middle school.  

“In the future, I plan to continue raising livestock for profit,” Sosa said. “I don’t plan on pursuing a career in the agriculture industry, but I do want to work with livestock on the side.” 

Using what she knew, Sosa woke up the morning of districts, ate breakfast, and got ready. Sosa left her house with her friend, Brennan Matzinger and met Agri-science teacher Kenneth Hartless at a church in Deland where the competition was held.  

“I had to put on an official dress, which is a corduroy jacket, a pencil skirt, pantyhose, and either black heels or black flats,” Sosa said.

Nervous and practicing, Sosa sat and waited to be called for her competition, reciting the FFA creed written in the late ’90s.   

“It’s something that the FFA organization is built around,” Sosa said. “We go by the creed and we follow the rules. It’s kind of just what we live by.” 

After being called back, Sosa recited the creed with minor issues such as stuttering or slurring words.  

“I went into a room with some judges, then I recited the FFA creed,” Sosa said. “They asked me some questions, and then I was done. I had to wait for every other competition to be over. I sat at church. And then after I think maybe another hour or two, they started awards.”  

Judges asked Sosa questions like, “How can we incorporate the creed into our everyday lives?”, “How can we use the creed to influence other people and to show the importance of FFA our cultural education?”, and a question about the creed and what it means.  

“After I think maybe another hour or two, they started awards,” Sosa said. “I placed third out of eight other kids in the district.”