This week our podcast guest talks about the impact of 4-H on her life and career, and that got me thinking about the value and importance of the teams and organizations we choose to be an active part of.

Sara discussed the life lessons, the growth, and the opportunities that have come because of her lifelong commitment to 4-H. She even wrote her thesis on the impact of collegiate judging!

My experience in FFA was much the same. Honestly, I was a real hot mess in high school! I’m not sure where I would be today without my FFA involvement, and most importantly, the people that came into my life because of FFA. I was all in. Feeding animals, birthing goats, cultivating plants, arranging flowers, judging horses, public speaking, chapter treasurer… meetings, dances, competitions, conventions, travel. I became ME through those experiences. (Peep that photo of me in my blue jacket below.)

We learn to listen to others, all kinds of others. We learn to be coached and led, sometimes by people we don’t always agree with. We learn to adapt and grow. We learn to push ourselves. Push ourselves to work, learn, get up early, stay late, be tired, do new things, go to new places, and meet new people. We learn teamwork. We learn to solve problems and get things done. We learn to volunteer, serve, and help those coming after us. Parliamentary procedure teaches fairness and efficiency, and judging teams give us speaking skills, confidence, grit, determination, and countless other life skills. Holding office teaches us leadership and collaboration. Being an active participant in these organizations gives us a leg up in life that we can only see in hindsight!

It comes as no surprise to me, that, according to LinkedIn, the top in-demand skills of 2024 are the skills I describe above. The skills that come from this kind of involvement. Communication is at the top of the list. Adaptability, leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving all make the top 10. Learning these skills as we grow up is such a competitive advantage in the job market! These young professionals outpace their peers, and often have more opportunities to move both laterally and vertically in jobs and organizations as they navigate their professional journeys.

I may be biased, but I’m not sure we’re growing this level of skill with most sports teams that our youth participate in today.  I see a clear advantage in young adults with 4-H, FFA, and production agriculture backgrounds coming into, and through, industry career roles. Tenacity, maturity, critical thinking skills; the ability to overcome, to handle responsibilities, to celebrate the success of others, and to navigate failures in life, these skills and experiences all contribute to the ability to truly thrive in the chaos of our world today.  

These are the skills I want to celebrate. These are the organizations I want to encourage involvement with! How can we inspire more young people to explore these opportunities, whether as children, high schoolers, college, or beyond? Find a 4-H club, a high-school or college FFA program, find a judging team to join!

If you’re not involved with 4-H or FFA, is there an opportunity for you? Have you ever participated in, or volunteered with these organizations? Who can you inspire today to seek an opportunity to GROW? Maybe it’s YOU, or maybe it’s someone who is inspired by YOU.

I decided early this year to join Ag Women Connect – where the mission is to empower, support, connect, and grow women in agriculture across the United States. I want to continue to be part of the solution, not the problem, and be part of tomorrow, not stuck in yesterday.

What group are you part of? Let me know which organizations have changed your life!

Cheers, – Jodi 

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JodiLynchFindley@gmail.com | Jodi Lynch Findley | www.linkedin.com/in/jodilynchfindley