AMANDA, Ohio – When asked what was going through her mind when it was announced that she was the newly elected president of Ohio FFA, Aubrey Schwartz, of the Miami Trace Great Oaks Chapter, was at a loss for words.

“I had no idea this would ever happen in my life,” Schwartz admitted. “There is a photo of me from the 2014 Ohio State Fair where the FFA state president is standing next to me in the Small Animal Barn sale for my rabbits. Looking back, it’s so ironic that little 13-year-old me had no idea I could be in that position this year. I’m truly baffled by the opportunities I’ve been blessed with and I never could have thought this would be a reality one day.”

Schwartz was one of 11 newly elected state officers at the 94th gathering of the Ohio FFA Convention. The event was May 5-6 at the Ohio State Fairgrounds.

Hannah Saum, the newly elected state vice president was just as astonished, and when her name was called she instantly had a flashback to one of her junior high days.

“I remember my eighth-grade year, a few FFA officers stopped by our classroom and told us of the opportunities that awaited us in FFA,” said Saum, who will be a senior at Amanda-Clearcreek High School this fall. “I was in awe of what they had to say and knew right then it was what I wanted to do with my future.”

Saum resides on a 1,500-acre farm that has offered her more than just a few opportunities.

“We grow everything under the sun on our farm,” Saum said. “We have those typical row crops of corn, soybeans and wheat. From October to December, I’m busy with our 30 acres of Christmas trees, and that was my supervised agricultural experience (SAE). Add to this the 10,000 pumpkins we grow each year, and our 2,500-hog operation. We also have a herd of dairy goats. You name it, we probably have it on our farm.

“Ag is not all the same. Sure, we might grow some of the same crops but how we go about it might be different. Everyone has a different path. It’s so fascinating that we can all come together as an industry that’s always ready to support each other even though we might have walked a thousand different paths to get there.”

Saum credits FFA for opening doors.

“FFA showed me what a future in ag would look like, not only just on the farm but in other areas,” Saum said. “I’ve always had a huge purpose here on the farm. It’s always been part of my life. FFA has opened my eyes to what growing up on a farm can mean and what all the ag community can do for each other. It has shown to me the future that I have with this industry.”

Saum plans on attending Texas A&M University and major in biomedical sciences, with the end goal of going to medical school to become a doctor.

“The family farm will always be my home, so I want to have a role in that a little bit, too,” she said.

Kennedy Short, of the Fayetteville FFA, was voted state sentinel. This fall she will attend Wilmington College, where she will be majoring in agriculture education with a minor in communications. She, too, will forever treasure her experiences through FFA.

“The FFA is so much more than an organization that advocates for agriculture,” Kennedy said. “FFA is built upon the principles of premier leadership, personal growth and career success. FFA has prepared me for a successful future. Throughout the past four years, the FFA has allowed me to find my purpose through speaking to the hearts of others and leading them to success. I am forever grateful for my involvement in the FFA.”

Shayden Heiser, of the Seneca East High School FFA, was elected state vice president at large. Heiser plans on studying agribusiness at Terra State Community College in Fremont, Ohio, this fall. His ultimate goal is to remain on the farm.

“I grew up knowing I wanted a job in the agricultural world, but for me the calling was to stick with the family farm,” Heiser said. “My dad wants to retire sooner or later and this is where I found my fit.”

Heiser and his family tend to 2,000 acres of corn, wheat and soybeans. They also have feeder cattle. Heiser’s SAE was that of tending to the cattle, finding areas to market his beef, and selling that freezer beef at various farmers’ markets.

He credits taking a self-based business class during his senior year, one which helped him design his own business web site and brochures. Mostly, though, he credits FFA.

“I grew up in row crop farming, but my interest from an early age has been feeder cattle,” Heiser said. “FFA helped me understand that I have value on the farm and that I can be profitable with what I go into. FFA taught me about keeping records and I’ve applied that in my own life. That has given me confidence in pursuing what I love. My ultimate goal the next few years is to open and operate my own butcher shop for cattle, sheep and pigs.”

Several of the 11 officers made mention of 4-H and the impact it made on their lives, but all tip their hats to FFA.

“It’s truly so difficult to put into words what FFA has meant to me the past seven years,” said Schwartz, who will be a junior studying agricultural education at Wilmington College when her yearly commitment as FFA president is complete. “The real reason I have stayed in FFA is the people. There are truly no better people than the ones who have worn, are wearing, or will wear the blue FFA jacket. The relationships I have made during my time in FFA are truly irreplaceable.”

Other newly elected officers are Graham Carson (state secretary, Miami Trace Great Oaks), Katie Oestreich (state treasurer, Eastwood), Aly Murphy (state reporter, McClain), Benjamin Bitner (state vice president at large, Twin Valley South-MVCTC), Luke Jennings (state vice president at large, Felicity-Franklin), Dalton Mullins (state vice president at large, Miami Trace Great Oaks) and Landon Shelpman (state vice president at large, Global Impact).