Reese Mitchell

Q: What's your favorite part of your position?

A: While this position allows me to develop and grow as a person, it has also given me the opportunity to meet others and learn about their way of life. From members within the state to citizens of another country, everyone I have met has allowed me to gain a new perspective of not only the agriculture industry but the world. Being able to talk with others and gain their perspective is my favorite part of this position.

Q: What motivates you to achieve success in your FFA career?

A: My motivation comes from the realization that I can change things for the better. I have great motivation that comes from being young and having the tremendous opportunity to serve my state in this position. There are issues and challenges in today’s world that needs to be solved by new upcoming generations, and I want to be a part of the group that helps solve these issues. I also have a great support system with my family, and they motivate and support me in every endeavor I take.

Q: Describe a challenge you've overcome in this role.

A: As much as we don’t like talking about it, COVID still has effects on our life. As we went through facilitation this summer, a major challenge was teaching kids and even teachers who have never been to our camps before the customs and ways to behave. We had to start at the bottom and teach everyone rather than the ones who had been there before guide the way.

Q: What led you to take on this position?

A: I consider myself lucky to have known about FFA from a young age, in fact, I am the fourth state president in my family. I wanted to run for state office after finally joining FFA and realizing that it is more than the common stereotype. While my younger years and knowledge played a part in my journey, my family never pushed me to follow the family trend but after seeing what the organization had to offer, I knew I wanted to one day be in this position. Because of FFA, I have learned about government and policies in place that not only effect agriculturists but rural Americans as a whole.

Q: What has been a defining moment in your role as Arkansas State FFA President?

A: In July of last summer, I was selected to be the committee chair of the Conduct Standards Implementation Committee at the National FFA Convention. This opportunity sticks out to me because it showed how FFA is a student-led organization, and we have the power as high school and college-age kids to make change. With 52 associations represented and 475 delegates, the work that is accomplished at National Convention is important to the progress of the organization, and being able to serve as 1 of 6 chairs was honorable.

Q: What opportunities for growth do you think women have in FFA?

A: I believe that growth will happen in all aspects of the agriculture industry but more specifically in the job spectrum. Women are now predominantly in leadership positions in our organization, and this is where the action starts. Women will begin to hold more jobs commonly held by men. I also think that women will begin to take the “atypical” approach to jobs in agriculture.

Q: Who has influenced your FFA career?

A: My family has laid a foundation for my position, but this isn’t how they have influenced me. As the first child & first grandchild of my mother’s side of the family, I was always expected to work at the farm and do every job I could. It never mattered that I wasn’t a boy. I was taught everything at the farm. They always have expected the best out of me.

Q: What advice do you have for women in FFA and agriculture in general?

A: Change what is the normal. There is still a view of femininity that a woman shouldn’t do certain things or be in certain positions. It is time to forget those views, and every woman within the industry has the power to do so. Do not be afraid of changing how things were done in the past, create innovation within your life. Anita Roddick once said “If you do things well, do them better. Be daring, be first, be different, be just.”