Impacting through service

GLENWOOD CITY, Wis. — With a desire to positively impact others, Amalia Draxler sought to serve as a Wisconsin State FFA officer. Strengthening those bonds created with members around the state drove her to run for a second term on the state officer team, this time as president.

“Running for state office was one of the best decisions I have ever made; I have loved every minute,” Draxler said. “Looking at FFA as a state officer completely changes how you think of it, compared to as a chapter member. As a chapter member, you go into FFA thinking, ‘Wow, this is awesome, we have all these activities to support us.’ As a state officer you realize all the months spent planning those activities, all the background work that goes into FFA.”

After completing a term serving as the Section 2 state vice-president, Draxler was elected to serve as the Wisconsin state FFA president at last month’s Annual State FFA Convention.

Draxler grew up on her family’s 700-cow dairy, where her Supervised Agricultural Experience was in dairy production placement. This fall she will be entering her junior year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she is studying agricultural and applied economics, with a second major in life sciences communications.

Joining FFA in the seventh grade was a given Draxler said. She is the fourth generation of her family to be a member of the Glenwood City FFA Chapter.

“My parents loved FFA and have so many fond memories,” Draxler said. “I’ve always grown up in that environment.”

In the ninth grade, Draxler began to embrace her FFA membership, stepping outside of her comfort zone by participating in the creed speaking contest.

“I remember being young, scared to try new things,” Draxler said. “Doing the creed speaking contest was the first spark that helped me get my confidence and played a role in who I am today.”

From there, Draxler served as the chapter treasurer her sophomore year, student advisor her junior year, and chapter president during her final year of high school.

“My senior year was pivotal for me in FFA,” Draxler said. “I started going to more conferences and getting involved. I watched the leaders there — the state officer team was amazing, they were so kind and welcoming, so high-achieving. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, I’d really like to do that someday.’”

Contemplating running for the state officer team at the end of her senior year, Draxler learned she was one semester short of the required number of agricultural education hours to receive her Wisconsin FFA Degree, a prerequisite for holding a state leadership position.

As she made her way through her first semester of college, Draxler said she questioned whether running for state officer was the right move. Her experiences representing her county, being named second runner-up in the Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs competition, cemented her resolve to continue her FFA leadership career.

“During my time as a state officer I have seen so much personal growth, confidence being one area,” Draxler said. “I went into the process pretty confident in what I could do, but it really unlocked something in me, that knowledge that I can use my skills and talents to be of service to others.”

That mindset of service grew as she served, and she began thinking about her next step.

“I didn’t go into serving as a state officer thinking I would pursue this role as president, especially being a college student,” Draxler said. “But as the year went on, I continued to see how impactful this organization is.”

As her year serving as a state officer wound down, Draxler found herself in awe of the growth she witnessed in members she had met, while attending many chapter banquets.

“I got to connect with members on a deeper level, after I had met them at conferences, chapter visits and other events,” Draxler said. “The FFA banquets were my final time seeing them as a state officer. Seeing our members, realizing I had a connection with them that wouldn’t have been possible without serving as a state officer, I realized I wanted another year serving as many members as possible, cultivating those relationships into the next level, strengthening those bonds.”

Draxler said she has learned a great deal about the organization.

“As a state officer you see the three-circle model — agricultural education, the SAE and FFA — and how those components really do make a full agricultural education experience for students,” Draxler said. “That experience is so important and impactful, growing that next generation of leaders who will be able to change and shape the world.”

A bevy of mentors have supported Draxler throughout her formative years, giving her the tools to impact the world in her own way, including a pair of sisters from her hometown.

“My ag teacher, Kirsten Konder, has been a terrific mentor and source of inspiration to me,” Draxler said. “She served as a state FFA officer 15 years ago. It was really special to watch her celebrate her reunion from the vantage point of my own year of service. Her sister, Kaitlyn, was my Fairest coordinator. They are both very strong voices for agricultural advocacy in our community and have both helped me polish my public speaking and leadership skills.”

Draxler is looking forward to shaping the upcoming year for her state officer team, setting them up for experiences she believes will impact each of them for a lifetime.

“I’ve learned so much more about what goes into creating those amazing experiences for our students, the FFA Foundation, the FFA alumni and supporters that help us through supporting roles,” Draxler said. “Seeing their passion and commitment to supporting youth has made me want to give back so much more. There are so many people in our corner, wanting to help students, and I can’t wait to share that with this officer team.”