How FFA Teaches You to Network Before You Have a “Network”
The Long Game: How FFA Leadership Pays Off in Careers, College, and Life
Most people think of networking as a skill for adults with business cards, but FFA members meet people from other chapters, states and industries at conferences long before they hold a job. Alumni describe how those early relationships turned into friendships and professional communities. This article collects what FFA and alumni say about building connections, explains the follow-up habits that make them last and notes where the evidence is thin.
- Key takeaway: FFA creates many chances to meet people, but relationships last only when someone follows up.
- Source type: FFA features and interviews with alumni and national officers.
What FFA and Alumni Describe
- Meeting people outside your hub. Janet Adkison told FFA that contests and leadership seminars let you meet like-minded students, learn what their chapters are doing and build friendships beyond your current circle. She also calls the National Association of Farm Broadcasting her adult version of FFA (source).
- Learning names and facts. Breanna Holbert, the 2017–18 president, says her advisor had her meet three people at each conference and recall names, chapters and a fun fact, a gradual way to practice (source).
- Conferences designed for connection. FFA’s coverage of state officer conferences says attending can strengthen existing relationships and create new ones (source).
- Mentors and people. Taylor Wiseman, the 2015–16 president, says FFA gives members people to connect with throughout a career (source).
- Professional associations. FFA’s AgExplorer article says members can join professional organizations to build skills and make connections that could lead to job shadowing, mentoring and internships (source).
A Lasting Example
FFA’s 2026 profile of Beau Williamson, the 2006–07 president, and Coty Back, a vice president on the same team, describes two people who met as national officers, remained friends and later became coworkers and co-founders of a leadership company (source). It is one example, and a close one, since national teams spend a year together.
Follow-Up Habits
| Within… | Do this |
|---|---|
| 24 hours | Send a short message that mentions one thing you talked about |
| 1 month | Share a useful link or article |
| 6 months | Ask a specific question or offer an update |
| 1 year | Thank them if they helped |
The schedule is this site’s suggestion and is not from FFA.
Questions Readers Ask
Is this just talking to people?
Partly, but the officer example shows it is also recording what you learn. Holbert’s exercise combined meeting with recalling names, chapters and facts.
What if I am shy?
Holbert describes herself as a shy freshman who used small goals, and other alumni describe starting with little confidence. Small, repeated steps appear in several accounts.
A Short Script for Following Up
The hardest part of networking is the second message. A simple structure works for most situations. Start with where you met, mention one thing the person said that stuck with you, share one thing you have done since and ask one specific question. For example: “We met at the state conference. You mentioned your work with a regional co-op. I have started a record-keeping project for my SAE, and I wondered what you would track if you were starting out.” Keep it under five sentences.
A few practical habits help. Keep a short note after every conversation with the person’s name, organization and one fact, which is the same exercise Holbert describes from her advisor. Ask permission before adding anyone to a mailing list. Send thanks to anyone who gives you time, especially advisors and professionals who volunteer at FFA events. These habits are this site’s suggestions and are not drawn from a particular FFA program.
Honest Limits
These are personal accounts, and none measures whether FFA members build larger networks than others. Examples about national officers may not apply to chapter members, who have fewer travel opportunities.
On this site, Mark Mayfield stayed in touch with his officer team for decades, Beau Williamson built a company with a former teammate and Gary Swan recalls a national president encouraging him to run for office. Their bios say only what published sources state.
Sources
- National FFA Organization: On the Record: Janet Adkison (2021)
- National FFA Organization: National FFA Officer Tips for Developing Confidence (2018)
- National FFA Organization: COLT Conferences Prepare Officers to Lead (2025)
- National FFA Organization: My Work After National Office (2025)
- National FFA Organization: Start Exploring Careers with AgExplorer (2017)
- National FFA Organization: Unleashing Leadership Potential (2026)