Leesa Wyzard,
OSU Friend

Growing up the youngest of six kids, a college education was not in my future – there were too many needs taking the place of higher education.

Once in high school I joined Future Farmers of America (FFA).  I’m not really sure why, other than I had an older brother in the class and he really liked it.  The first day of class was a bit overwhelming; I was the only girl in a class of 20 boys my freshman year of high school.  I was used to just blending in and not being noticed.  Not much of a chance for that in this class.  My FFA advisor, Ferlan Dean, didn’t give me much of a break either.  He let everyone in the class know that we were all going to participate in everything from welding in the shop, giving speeches, parliamentary procedure, to handling and working with animals – and there were no exceptions – even for girls!!  I even tried to get out of learning how to castrate pigs by wearing a dress that day and standing in the back of the group.  But Mr. Dean would not let me off that easy.  In fact, when he summoned me that it was my turn, I told him no and he physically came and picked me up, carried me to the pig and put the scalpel in my hand.  It wasn’t so bad after all.

Over the next four years I was transformed from a wall flower to a leader through the many leadership opportunities FFA offers.  I participated in numerous conventions, delegation seminars and women in leadership, just to name a few.   

The first line in the FFA Creed by E.M. Tiffany states “I believe in the future of agriculture with a faith born not of words but of deeds.”  My FFA advisor brought out potential in me I never knew I had.  He didn’t cut me a break because I was a shy girl in a class full of boys; he taught me how to hold my head up high and work hard because I could be a better welder than they were, because I was better at public speaking and better at memorizing FFA facts than they were, I could be anything I wanted to be if I worked hard. 

FFA turned a shy average student into a leader in high school, who went on to be President of her Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter in Drumright, President of her FBLA chapter at NOC-Tonkawa the year after that and a more confident adult now who is on her way to completing her animal science degree at OSU.

I give to the Long FFA scholarship.  I want to support FFA members who need someone to believe in them too.

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