Claire Woeppel has been determined to demonstrate love, listening and leadership since she first interviewed for a Nebraska FFA State Office last year. Now, as she is wrapping up her year of service as a State Vice-President, Woeppel is reflecting on all the ways she accomplished her goal.
Woeppel, originally from Chambers, Nebraska, has spent the year visiting FFA chapters across the state, hosting conferences, conventions and connecting with FFA members. She says her favorite part of the experience has been seeing her hard work pay off.
“I think that the most beautiful part of it is that you work hard and then you are able to show what you’ve been working on for so long and have it be celebrated,” Woeppel explained.
Woeppel and her fellow State Officers have been developing this year’s State FFA Convention, where Nebraska FFA members will assemble in Lincoln to compete, recognize accomplishments and celebrate the year. Woeppel says she is excited to celebrate her team, members from across the state, FFA advisors and supporters.
“It’s just one big celebration, one big party, and I can’t wait for it,” Woeppel exclaimed.
The next Nebraska FFA State Officer team will also be elected and installed this week. After she passes on her role, Woeppel says she will be reflecting on her journey.
“Claire a year ago is not the same Claire now,” Woeppel said. “So, I am reflecting on everything that we’ve done, everything that I’ve done and everything that Nebraska FFA has done for me.”
Woeppel hopes the members she interacted with in the last year saw in her the theme for the year: love, listening, and leadership.
“For the members, I really hope that they felt loved when I was talking to them, it felt like they were truly being heard and it felt like they had someone to look up to,” Woeppel explained. “And so, I really hope that they felt that, and they brought that into their own life and are able to be that person for someone else.”
Even though she is hanging up her FFA jacket this week, Woeppel wants to stay involved in FFA. As a freshman at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln studying agricultural education, Woeppel plans to be a high school agriculture teacher and FFA advisor in the future.
“I don’t think I’ll ever hang up the blue jacket. I’ll always be connected to it and I’ll always be involved,” she explained.
