A recent visit to the 95th Indiana FFA Convention sent me back to those long convention sessions, packed seats and stuffy rooms filled with a sea of blue jackets. That’s only the physical memory. Other memories also resurfaced: snippets of dinners spent with my chapter officer team, anxiety as I prepared to take the state convention stage to accept an award and, most importantly, that feeling of being at home.

I became tied up in my thoughts, wondering why those memories and those many days spent in the blue FFA jacket must come to an end. Then it hit me: It doesn’t have to end.

Why are we only restricting our time in FFA to our high school years? Sure, those are the years in which we can be most active, participating in competitions and going to conferences. But that is not all that composes FFA.

Where do you belong?

An easy place to start when considering how to become involved in FFA after high school graduation is seeing if your community has an FFA Alumni chapter. This is a solid organization to join and have a direct impact on the FFA members in your community. For more information on FFA Alumni opportunities in Indiana, visit inffa.org.

In addition to being active with your local FFA Alumni chapter after you’ve hung up your blue jacket, there are a plethora of volunteer opportunities in FFA. Finding out how you can help is a good way to stay connected to the program.

Related:Meet the 2024-25 Indiana FFA officers

Chances are, your community’s FFA program could use help in some form. When I was in FFA, we could have benefited from coaches for our various judging teams, someone to help coordinate fundraisers, or simply a volunteer to support our advisor, who was stretched thin between all the events.

Sending a message to the FFA advisor in your community is a good place to start. He or she can send you in the right direction and help you find your place as a volunteer in the local chapter.

FFA keeps giving

I have found that I keep reaping the benefits from my time in FFA. The people I met, experiences I gained and awards I won all shine in my work and interactions in professional and personal settings. However, none of this would be possible without the people who volunteered even a little bit of time to our chapter, section, district and state programs.

My advisor, now moved back to her home state and in a new role, is still sharing resources with me to help me better myself and my work. She keeps giving. Why can’t we?

This may be your first year or your 21st year away from the organization. No matter how long you have been away from FFA, it is never too late to go back.

Related:Mom to the rescue, again

Reflect on the benefits you’ve received from your time in the blue jacket. Are they still helping you today? How could you pass those same benefits on to the next generation of leaders?

If you had my seat at the Indiana FFA Convention — front and center — you’d realize how big of an impact your support could have. The passion these students have for the organization, the ag industry and the people they meet is evident. Rather than reflecting on that same passion you had when you were in their shoes, consider how you can exercise that passion in a new way.