By AL STOVER
Staff Reporter 

Gray and Scharff selected as FFA state officers

 

Last updated 6/1/2017 at 12:47pm

Mollee Gray

Cheney's Kelci Scharff and Medical Lake's Mollee Gray have been heavily involved in their respective high school's Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapters over the last four years. Although they will be graduating high school, their involvement with FFA will continue into next year.

Gray and Scharff were elected as state officers for the Washington FFA Association for 2017-18 during a ceremony at the 87th Washington FFA Convention and Expo in Pullman, May 13. Gray was selected as the vice president and Scharff was named reporter.

Both Gray and Scharff have served in a number of roles for their respective FFA chapters, including president. Scharff also served as an ambassador for the Junior Livestock Show of Spokane and the Spokane County Cattlemen Association while Gray focuses more on equine science and is a two-time qualifier for the National High School Finals Rodeo twice in the reined cow horse and queen contest events. Gray also won the Washington FFA extemporaneous public speaking competition in 2016 and represented the state at the National FFA competition last October. She has also participated in the agricultural issues leadership development event.

"FFA prepares us to really have a servant heart and give back," Gray said.

Becoming a state officer has been a goal for both students since their sophomore year after being inspired by officers they met over the years.

At the convention, Gray and Scharff took two exams, one on parliamentary procedure and another on general FFA knowledge, then had their "Stand and Deliver" interview where they were given a prompt and 30 minutes to prepare a three-minute speech.

The next day both students had a 15-minute "personality" interview with judges, then had to give a speech about putting vision into action.

"We cried," Gray said of their reaction to becoming officers. "They call you down and work your way up to hug everyone. We skipped the line and just hugged each other."

While their titles are different, Gray said state officers are more of a team. As state officers, Gray and Scharff will help young FFA members with public speaking, judging livestock and agriculture. They will conduct visits with chapters across the state and put on workshops. Before that work starts, they will attend district officer training and state officer training where they will plan their goals and objectives. They have also applied to attend the "International Leadership Seminar for State Officers" where they would have the opportunity to travel outside of the United States and learn about agriculture and farming in other countries.

Kelci Scharff

Both Gray and Scharff plan to attend college once they are finished as state officers. Scharff will attend Northwest College in Powell, Wyo. where she plans to study agriculture education as well as compete on the school's livestock judging and show teams. Gray plans to study at Washington State University in fall 2018 to major in neuroscience and will compete independently in college rodeo. She hopes to be a neurologist.

Although they will not have the traditional college experience like most of their classmates, the opportunities they will receive from being state officers will give them a "a year ahead in life."

As for their goals as state officers, both Gray and Scharff want to create awareness for the different aspects of agriculture education including where food comes from, disappearing farming space and climate change.

Scharff also wants to inspire younger generations to follow their dreams.

"It's like I said in my speech, 'if you put your vision into action, you can change the world,'" Scharff said.

Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.

 

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