Advocating for agriculture or AGvocate, is my favorite way to express my love and gratitude towards FFA and reflecting it to members and communities. 

Agriculture is the key to life, so we as leaders in this organization dedicated to it need to stand up for the industry and advocate, educate and correspond with others on the issues and successes. Taking this into consideration, I've decided to create a new Agriculture Communications Proficiency project dedicated to AGvocating. 

For some background information, when I first started FFA in 8th grade I thought the agriculture industry was just about animals and farming. But after a few years of experience in FFA, I have learned that there are so many unique pathways in which agriculture can take you. For example, from showing livestock, giving you the urge to join the breeding industry to help grow our Nation's meat supply. Or by nurturing a green thumb which gains your interest in National Park recreation. These are just two examples of how agriculture in FFA can impact your future decisions. 

Leading back to my proficiency, I began to think of those who may be uncertain of their career paths or unknowing of possible sparks in this industry. This is why I am creating Ava's Ag-Ventures! A vlog dedicated to post monthly videos on unique pathways in agriculture. It will contain career statstics, specality interviews, facility tours, and more! I am so excited to bring this vision to life and help communicate the world of agriculture careers with my fellow FFA community. 

If you want to learn more about my proficiency please vist my vlogs youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLjtKEsDa0P2dvbonQmDlWg 

If you have any questions or ideas please feel free to contact me at: avas.agventures@gmail.com 

A daring journey. Most tend to steer away from challenges deemed to risky. But I'm here to tell you, take the jump. If you fall, you can always pick yourself backup. I've learned overtime that you are your worst hater. You will be the biggest voice denying your dreams. But at the end of the day if we keep holding ourselves back, we will never get to see what we may become! 

Now I could sit here and talk about my accolades and passions all day, but i'd rather use this platform to inspire and encourage you. Explore your intrests and see where they may lead. Take chances on new environments, as they may led to valuable connections. But most importantly, do what makes you happy. If you want to compete in career or leadership development events, go for it! Study hard and shoot for the stars. But if you rather focus on livestock, practice and seek the best tips to secure that buckle! Even if you want to score high academically, don't let anyone frown upon your goals. 

If theres anything you take away from my page, let it be this. Turn yourself from a hater to your own cheerleader. Don't let others tear your ambitions down. Fight for yourself and what's best.

I started FFA at Ocoee Middle School, originally joining to show an animal so I could be exempt from writing a portfolio for another SAE project! Talk about priorities... 

Little did I know that I would absolutely fall in love with FFA and all the aspects it involves with agriculture and leadership. I have grown as an individual, a leader, a communicator, and as a friend since joining back in 2020. 

My first CDE to compete in was Veterinary Science my Freshmen year of high school. My team got 7th in the State and I remember this overwhelming sense of joy for being in the top ten. This is when my competitive spark bloomed and now to this day I still adore competing, win or lose, because you always learn and come back stronger. 

Showing also has a piece of my heart, going into my final year at the Central Florida Fair, I feel nothing less than grateful for this outlet to countine my passion with livestock. If you would like to learn more about my previous projects, please visit my youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8CgqVpvaSbcv5CWabfsbfw 

Through FFA I have the chances to do remarkable things. One being a guest on a Podcast for Ocoee High School, where I got to represent our Dog Daycare program and advocate for our school and chapter. You can find this podcast episode at: https://www.wdbo.com/on-demand/high-school-radio/  Another exciting thing I've done is meet with professors and career specialists at the University of Florida. They not only help me study for competitions but also give me guidance on future career driven plans. 

Speaking of the future, I hope to pursue a double-major of Entomology and Food Science, with minors in Business and Agriculture Education. My dream job is to be an FDA Food and Health Inspector for Foreign Affairs.