Stationed by the door

CHANCELLOR, S.D. — Skyler Plucker is currently serving as the South Dakota FFA state sentinel. His main role on the team is to assist the organization’s president in maintaining the comfort of the room and members, along with organizing materials for meetings.

“I work hand in hand with our FFA president, Tyler Strausser, to ensure everything is ready to go for our events,” Plucker said.

Plucker attends South Dakota State University in Brookings. He is majoring in agricultural business and minoring in dairy science. Plucker’s parents own a dairy farm near Chancellor where they milk 25 registered Guernseys with two milking units in a tiestall barn.

“My plan (after college) is to go back to the family farm and keep expanding the operation,” Plucker said.

Currently, Plucker balances school and officer duties by using his free time efficiently.

“It is easy to be sidetracked with my phone or friends,” Plucker said. “I find it is very important to get stuff done when it comes to me and not to procrastinate.”

Plucker and his officer teammates are preparing for the state FFA convention in April. Besides going to school and FFA office hours, they are writing and memorizing scripts and preparing their retiring officer speeches.

Growing up on a dairy farm Plucker said taught him how to work with various personalities and solve problems. He uses those characteristics when working with FFA members and the officer team.

“I have learned how to read a room and understand verbal and nonverbal communication,” Plucker said, “If a problem arises, we work together to fix it, just like my dad and I would on the farm.”

Plucker’s parents had 80 milking cows when he was younger. Since then, they have focused more on genetics and downsized the herd. Plucker said he appreciates his parents for being his main supporters while growing up, an act they continue today.

“My parents were always there to help me put in 140% into everything I tried,” Plucker said. “My mom would always give me advice and the little extra push to dive into something new.”

Plucker said his dad was always willing to teach, listen and give constructive feedback.

“Dad would always ask, ‘How can I help you?’” Plucker said. “He would volunteer to be the coach, whether it was the poultry team when I was in seventh grade or dairy cattle evaluation when I was older.”

Plucker started his FFA career when he took a heifer to an FFA show at the South Dakota State Fair before his seventh-grade year. His favorite FFA event was creed speaking, a Leadership Development Event for seventh, eighth and ninth graders outlining the FFA organization’s core beliefs.

“I learned how to public speak through creed speaking,” Plucker said, “I was also able to meet so many people in a positive atmosphere; I loved it.”

Plucker decided to run for a state officer position because he wanted to give back to the organization. Plucker said FFA has taught him how to listen to people, not in order to speak, but in order to learn. This lesson has been very useful to him in processing knowledge.

“I can tell that FFA members appreciate how I remember what they said after a few months when I see them again,” Plucker said.

He also has learned how to be a leader and facilitate meetings. He said he has found facilitating versus teaching to be very valuable for helping members figure things out on their own.

“Facilitating is having a conversation where both people can be heard,” Plucker said. “Facilitating is not teaching; it enhances member engagement.”

Plucker hopes that by sharing his experiences and memories, other youth who are interested in joining FFA are encouraged to try something new. He wants them to be inspired to create their own experiences.

“FFA teaches skills that kids can learn and work on to enhance themselves as adults,” Plucker said.