Teagan Erbele elected National FFA Officer

Community, leadership and agricultural opportunities do not have to be left behind after coming to North Dakota State University. NDSU prioritizes creating a personal and professional environment with opportunities for mentorship and leadership within many different agricultural pathways.

Teagan Erbele is a junior studying agricultural education at NDSU’s College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources. She is involved in many campus organizations, including serving as an agricultural ambassador for the College of Ag, and she is the North Dakota FFA candidate for national FFA office.

Teagan grew up on her family’s cattle ranch near Lehr, North Dakota. She considers herself a small-town girl at her core and was a member of the FFA chapter in Napoleon, where she was very involved in agriculture and agricultural education.

What FFA events did you participate in during high school?

FFA in Napoleon is a very solid program, and my advisor was amazing. He was just recognized as North Dakota Teacher of the Year, so lots of credit goes to Mr. Schneider.

During the winter, I did livestock judging, and I tried a lot of different events for state conventions. Food science was one of my favorites, as well as ag mechanics, farm business management, extemporaneous public speaking and parliamentary procedure.

How did your experience in FFA contribute to you deciding to pursue agricultural education and attend NDSU?

My FFA advisor helped me discover my passions and interests. I was his teacher’s assistant, and he would say, “You have a gift for teaching and a clear passion for agriculture. I think you should go into ag education.”

I have a huge passion for kids developing the skills, work ethic and character traits that come from FFA. I thought about how I would love to pour that passion into future students, and so it really felt like the right fit to pursue.

My FFA advisor went to NDSU, and he encouraged me to attend Discover Days, which I now get to help with as an ag ambassador. I came here for the Harvest Bowl when I was a kid, and I was just in love with the campus and college itself, so there wasn’t really a question.

How has being in the College of Ag allowed you to build on skills you started developing during FFA?

I really appreciate being able to build close relationships and gain real-world skills. I love how hands-on the learning is and how we can develop relationships with our professors.

In FFA, you develop skills for problem solving, critical thinking, innovation, teamwork, discipline and grit. When I was a prospective student, I saw students and professors in the College of Ag displaying these skills, which really solidified that I would love and thrive here.

What is so important about being an ag ambassador for the College of Ag?

I love representing the student body and the college itself. There are so many opportunities to learn and innovate within the College of Ag, whether it’s classes and course content, student research or relationships with professors, and I think that is so important.

I also get to connect with both alumni from the college as well as prospective students. I remember when I was a prospective student, it was the ag ambassador panel that helped solidify my choice of NDSU, so it’s such a reward to sit on the other side.

It means a lot to me to address their fears and concerns, showing them that I was in their shoes at one point, too. Being able to invest in others, as I was once invested in, is one of my favorite things about being an ambassador for the College of Ag.

What is something you wish people knew about studying agricultural education?

I wish more people knew that you don’t have to come from a farming background and you don’t have to have been an FFA member to be an agriculture teacher. I think that ag education is a career for anyone who loves mentoring others, influencing students and having an impact on the future of the agriculture industry.

We need more people in this major, and we need more ag teachers.

How have your experiences at NDSU contributed to your continued involvement in FFA?

The support system in the College of Ag made me confident enough to take this opportunity to run for national office. I know that I won’t be doing it alone and that my studies will help prepare me to be the best I can be for this position.

The professors and other faculty are so committed to student success and growth, and they have such a passion for their work. That is exactly the kind of foundation that someone in this role needs.

What was the process of becoming a national FFA officer candidate?

I thought back to when I was a super-shy seventh grader who was terrified to go to FFA practices, and how I grew into someone who came to love serving others and expanded my interest in agriculture. I continued to grow throughout high school, and FFA quickly became a transformative and important part of my life.

I loved serving as a North Dakota state officer. I enjoyed interacting with members, having intentional conversations, being a voice of encouragement and connecting with the staff and ag teachers of North Dakota FFA.

When I reflected on how I felt wearing my Napoleon chapter jacket or my state association jacket, all I could think about was how much I loved being a part of something bigger and how I felt like my passions and purpose intertwined with these different roles; I thought, why not try to take it one step further and run for national office?

Every state has one representative, and at the end of June there was a virtual contest to determine which of the four finalists would be named North Dakota’s representative, and this year it was me.

What does the interview process look like at the national convention?

We have three days of interviews and speeches, and then the National FFA judges will make a cut. Half will advance through three more days of speeches, stakeholder rounds and interviews. Then the election will happen live at the end of the last session.

I met up with some of the state FFA staff to practice interviews and prepare for my speeches. This summer I also interned in the governor’s office at the North Dakota State Capitol, where I gained experience in having engaging conversations with stakeholders, industry representatives, policymakers and other members of North Dakota’s agricultural community.

I had the privilege of meeting President Marshall Stewart this summer at NDSU’s North Central Research Extension Center for one of the field days, and he told me he also ran for national officer. He said that the week of interviews for national office is extremely rigorous, which was terrifying to hear.

What are your plans for after graduation?

Running for national office has definitely made me realize that I want to be involved in FFA in the future and that I do have a desire to influence members, possibly as an ag teacher or advisor. No matter what, I will be involved in advancing and influencing the agriculture industry.

What is something that you wish you could say to your high school self?

For a while, I had a bad habit of convincing myself that I couldn’t succeed in my FFA events. I got advice from a mentor of mine in high school, who said, “Do it scared.” So, I would tell anyone nervous about getting involved in anything to do it scared, and your future self will be so glad you did.