On October 27,  Erica Baier, a recent graduate from ADM was selected for FFA National Secretary Officer. Erica has dedicated hundreds of hours and weeks to FFA, or Future Farmers of America.  This is her journey for how she got there today.

Baier’s interest in FFA started around her eighth-grade year of school. Her interested sparked when fellow ADM students traveled back and forth to participate in Earlham’s FFA Chapter, as well as during the Dallas County Fair, as well as growing up in an agriculture-based family encouraged her at a young age. Naturally, Baier enrolled in a class that she was very passionate about.

FFA clicked right away for Baier; she spent four years each semester dedicated to agriculture classes in high school. Along with classes in high school, Baier worked on important interview skills for three hours each day while balancing attending Iowa State. Filling her summers with meetings with mentors kept Baier very busy as an active FFA member.

After watching the thrilling video of the nominations, Baier’s next steps as a National Secretary will be traveling thousands of miles, exploring other states and countries.

“I will be boarding over 90 flights, heading to nearly 25 states and interacting with about 200,000 FFA members,” she said.

Keeping busy is not something she’s afraid of in the Secretary position, but rather balancing the traveling and keeping in touch with many loved ones near home. Deferring for a year from college at Iowa State, Baier will take off for Indianapolis, Japan, and Kentucky after the holidays. Being on the road for 300 days, she is ready to learn and experience more and more with 200,000 other members that, “make it completely worth it,” she said.

As a National FFA Secretary, she said what this job means to means to her: “The position itself means very little, but what I can do through this amazing platform is indescribable.”

Erica Baier has made both her parents and school administrators proud and excited to see her achievements.  Greg Dufoe, district superintendent, said on Twitter, “Great Job Erica! She is an ADM Tiger grad!!”

“This is an opportunity to use the talents and gifts that I have been given in order to see that other people can find the courage to do the same!” said Baier.