September 13, 2024 • 43 mins
In this insightful episode of Growing Our Future, host Aaron Alejandro sits down with Zoee Nolen, a 2022-2023 Texas FFA officer and junior at Texas A&M University. Zoee shares her remarkable journey, from growing up on a traditional West Texas farm to discovering a passion for agriculture through FFA after two major injuries derailed her sports career. Now a double major in Agricultural Communications & Journalism and Agricultural Economics, Zoee reflects on how her family's work in agriculture ignited her deep appreciation for the industry.
Zoee also discusses her involvement at Texas A&M, including her role as Vice President of Public Relations for the Student Council for the College of Agriculture and her work with AgriLife Communications. Additionally, she talks about her ambition to make an impact on the global stage, with plans to participate in the International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program in Ghana or Guatemala.
Story Notes:
- Gratitude is a key to personal growth and leadership.
- Zoee’s journey from sports to agriculture highlights the power of resilience.
- The role of FFA in shaping leadership and a deep connection to the agricultural industry.
- Zoee’s goal of working in international agriculture to promote sustainable practices.
Learn more at MyTexasFFA.org
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the Growing Our Future podcast.
In this show, the Texas FFAFoundation will take on a
journey of exploration intoagricultural science, education,
leadership development andinsights from subject matter
experts and sponsors who providethe fuel to make dreams come
true.
Here's your host, AaronAlejandro.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, good morning, good afternoon or good evening
or whenever you may be tuninginto the Growing Our Future
podcast.
We appreciate the fact thatyou're dropping by and sharing a
little bit of your time with us, and we appreciate the
opportunity to share some of ourtime with you.
And the reason that's importantis because this podcast is all
about bringing on guests,incredible guests that share
(00:53):
their personal experiences,their insights, their expertise,
in hopes that maybe in theirtime with us, we can find those
little seeds of greatness thatwe can plant in our life and
make our way just a little bitbetter.
Greatness that we can plant inour life and make our way just a
little bit better.
Like we always say, if you wantto know what the future is,
grow it.
Well, to grow it, you got toplant the right seeds, and I
think we've brought on a greatguest today to help us plant
(01:17):
some seeds of greatness.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's anhonor to introduce you to Zoe
Nolan Zoe, thank you for joiningus.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Thank you for having me, Mr Alejandro.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
We're going to learn more about Zoe here in a minute.
She's a 2022-23 Texas FFAofficer.
She's from a little town inWest Texas called Seminole.
You're going to learn moreabout Zoe here in a second.
But, Zoe, we start everypodcast off with the same
question.
I love to ask my guests thisquestion what are you grateful
(01:48):
for today?
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Oh, what am I grateful for today?
Well, there's a lot, I think.
One of the big things that I'mreally grateful for,
particularly today, is theweather.
It's warm.
I love the summer months.
It gives me an opportunity toget outside and spend some time
with some fresh air.
And then, of course, I'mgrateful for my family and my
friends, and I'm grateful foryou and for asking me to be here
today.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Oh, you're too nice.
Well, I agree with you.
I love the outdoors, by the way.
I absolutely love the outdoors,so I love good weather.
I also appreciate, like yousaid, family and friends and
good connections.
I mean, it's amazing, I think,sometimes, if we'll just pause
and reflect on what we have tobe grateful for, we tend to be a
(02:32):
little happier, a little moreenergetic and realize that
there's a lot of good out there,in spite of maybe all the
negative that surrounds ussometimes.
So that's why we always like tostart the podcast with
gratitude.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
I think it's a great way to start the podcast.
It's a great way to start yourday, even that's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I'm glad you said that.
Zoe.
So I had an opportunity to getto know you.
I kind of watched you kind ofthrough your FFA career.
But for the people that may notknow your background, would you
just kind of take us throughhow you ended up?
What are you about?
A junior or senior now at A&M?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
I'll be a junior at Texas A&M Okay.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
So I know you didn't just fall into that chair.
So why don't you take usthrough a little bit of your
journey that led you to whereyou are right now at Texas A&M
University and tell us a littlebit about what you're majoring
in and why?
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Yeah, of course.
So I was raised by my parentsthey're wonderful people out in
West Texas in a little towncalled Seminole, about an hour
and a half from Lubbock, texasand I was raised heavily in the
agriculture industry.
So we raised a lot of row cropspeanuts, cottons and the sorts
and then we also had a littlebit of cattle that we raised
more of a cow-calf operation.
I was just really immersed inthe agricultural world.
(03:52):
I grew up in it, riding in thetractor with my dad and my
granddad that super traditionalbackground.
It was something that Iactually ended up, when I got a
little older, kind of rejecting.
I fell in love with sports andsports were my thing.
When I was younger, especiallythroughout, like middle school
and the early years of highschool, it was really like what
(04:13):
I cared about.
I played volleyball andvolleyball was where most of my
focus was.
I also played basketball, I rancross country, I ran track, I
did all the things and that'swhat I really cared about and I
thought that's what I was goingto end up going to college for
(04:35):
was volleyball.
Then I ended up tearing not onebut two ACLs my sophomore and
junior year of high school and Iwas already involved in FFA
because it was kind of thenatural thing to do.
I already showed hogs and I wasvery involved in my chapter and
then the way that my ACLsurgeries kind of lined up it
gave me even more encouragementto be involved in the FFA.
(04:57):
And so when I tore my first ACL, I ended up running for
district office.
I tore my second ACL, I ended uprunning for area office and
then ultimately I truly fell inlove with the agriculture
industry and really realizedwhat I was missing out on that.
What my family was doing wastruly a noble thing.
Not a lot of people can saytheir dad contributes to feeding
(05:18):
the world, but I could and thatwas pretty cool and really I
started to recognize theimportance of the agriculture
industry and the like, relevanceand just pure meaning behind
the FFA that other organizationsmay not have.
Ffa is a fantastic leadershiporganization.
I think it's the best one outthere.
There's other organizationsthat teach leadership Like I
(05:39):
learned leadership when I playedsports as well, but the meaning
behind the FFA is just so muchdeeper than the meaning behind
the other things I was doing,and whenever I became super
passionate about that I wasalways going to be an Aggie,
I'll just say it.
I came home from the hospital inan A&M onesie because my dad
was an Aggie and I wasbrainwashed from an early age
(06:02):
and so I had my heart set onTexas A&M.
I didn't apply anywhere elsebut I decided to major in
agriculture and so right now I'ma double major in agricultural
communications and journalismand agricultural economics at
Texas A&M.
I absolutely love my majors.
If you ask me what I want to doin the future, that's where it
(06:24):
gets a little trickier.
I'm not 100% certain, but I havegained a little bit of guidance
and clarity over the past yearand I want to do something in
international ag.
There's a program I really wantto start whenever I graduate
and it's called theInternational Agricultural
Education Fellowship Program andyou spend around a year in
(06:45):
either Ghana or Guatemalastarting the equivalent of a 4-H
club in those third worldcountries and teaching them
sustainable agriculture to theyouth there, and that's kind of
where my head's at for aftergraduation.
But right now I'm heavilyinvolved at Texas A&M.
I'm the vice president ofpublic relations for the student
(07:06):
council for the College of Ag.
I also work for AgriLife ontheir communications and
marketing team as a studentworker and I love how it ties me
directly in with the collegeand I get to work closely with
staff and with our dean and justcontinue to build those
connections and really make themost of my time at Texas A&M.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Wow, Junior.
So how old are you now, Zoe?
I know I'm not supposed to askthat, but I'm going to ask.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
I just turned 20.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
What a resume Already at 20 years old.
Zoe, you need to be proud ofthat, and I'm proud of you.
You've given us a lot, by theway, I hope.
One of the things that I likeabout doing these podcast
interviews is what I hope peoplehear is when people are sharing
their testimony, there'ssomebody out there that's going
(07:56):
to be able to relate to that.
I guarantee you there's somebodyout there who's also into
sports and they might run into ahurdle that makes you, you know
, kind of deters them intoanother direction.
And so the fact that you'vetaught us that you can look for
other options to it's okay to tomaybe move away, but come back
to something, and then and then,as you begin to engage more, I
(08:21):
think you're able to see more.
Zig Ziglar always said go asfar as you can see, and when you
get there, you'll always beable to see further.
And when I look at your journeyand just the comments that
you've shared just in the firstfive, 10 minutes of this
interview, that's exactly whatyou've done.
You've gone to a point, butwhen you got there, you're now
(08:41):
looking further, saying, well,what about this or what about
that?
So I just want to complimentyou on that.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Well, thank you.
I'm honestly glad that I was asinvolved in sports as I was,
because it made me trulyappreciate what my family had in
the agriculture industry I wasraised in, and I think it gave
me a deeper, more profoundappreciation for that, and
that's where I'm at right now.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Oh, that's great, that's great for that, and
that's where I'm at right now.
Oh, that's great, that's great.
I also like the fact thatyou're looking beyond just the
borders, our domestic borders,and you're looking at the
international scope.
One of the programs that I wasinvolved with for a while, when
it was really going full steam,was the Latinos in Agriculture
(09:23):
Leadership Conference, and Iremember one time I was there
and there was a young man thereInterestingly enough, he was
from A&M and he was fromPakistan, interestingly enough,
and so I asked him out ofcuriosity because that's the way
I am, I'm just curious and Isaid, ok, you're an
international student, butyou're at the Latinos in
Agriculture LeadershipConference.
I said, okay, you're aninternational student, but
(09:43):
you're at the Latinos inAgriculture Leadership
Conference, and he said I'malways looking for opportunities
to find out more about what'sgoing on around the world.
So as we began to talk, he toldme that what his major was at
A&M and that his hope was to goback home and help some of the
countries that were strugglingwith food sources meeting their
(10:06):
food needs, and so I thought,man, there's no doubt this kid's
going to go far, because he'sgot something in his mind that
becomes a target.
And what do they say aboutgoals?
Goals are targets that beckon,and so when you start seeing
those little goals, you startmoving toward those, and so I
(10:26):
just wanted to compliment youthat it's not that you may ever
end up there, but you may end upthere with a chance to gain
knowledge that you bring homeand maybe you instill that in
somebody else, or maybe that youbring that back to y'all's
agricultural operations.
Yeah, I just think it's a greatthing that you're doing.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Thank you, I love it.
I love just widening myworldview and learning more and
seeing things in life.
That is kind of different.
I think perspective iseverything, and the more you
widen your perspective, the moreknowledgeable you can be when
you make decisions, and so solet's stay with that for a
second.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
And just for just a point of reference, folks, one
of the reasons that I wanted Zoeto come on to this podcast is
because I have, in the last twoyears, kind of lived vicariously
through her travels abroad andI'm talking in a very short
period of time.
This young lady has been allover the world.
(11:30):
Zoe, would you just take usthrough some of the places you
and I'm telling everybody thisis in the last two years Take us
through some of the places thatyou've been and some of your
takeaways from those experiences.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Yes, for sure.
So you said it was the last twoyears, but I'll be really
honest, it's been the lastprobably six months that it's
really picked up.
So when I was younger, Idreamed of traveling, like that
was the one thing I've alwayswanted to do.
But I was always busy.
I was showing hogs, I wasplaying sports.
So travel wasn't something myfamily really prioritized,
(12:03):
because any of the traveling wewere doing it was for those
extracurricular activities.
But I always told myself oneday I would travel the world.
Well, my freshman year ofcollege I was a state officer,
so I was a little bit dizzy.
I had things on my plate allthe time and I absolutely loved
my year of service, buttraveling wasn't as feasible
(12:24):
during that time.
But whenever I started mysophomore year of college, I
realized that this was myopportunity.
I'm young, I'm not married, Idon't have kids.
This is one of the easiest andmost affordable times that I can
travel and pursue my dream, andthe only thing holding me back
at that point was myself, and soI made it my goal that I was
going to start traveling now andI wasn't going to make excuses
(12:44):
for it.
So the first trip I went on, Ihad never been overseas before.
But the first trip I went onwas actually one of my teammates
.
He studied abroad.
His name's Logan.
He was one of my state officerteammates for clarification
there and he was studying abroadin Milan, italy, for an entire
semester.
And before he left I told him Isaid, logan, I'm going to come
(13:06):
see you for spring break.
And he kind of laughed.
I'm super spontaneous and I sayall kinds of things and it
really just depends if Iactually follow through on it.
And saying that I was going topay for a trip for myself to
Italy was kind of out there.
So he thought I was kidding andso I made it my goal.
So over Christmas break I askedmy parents.
I said, mom, dad, if I saved upenough money theoretically to
(13:29):
go to Europe for spring break.
Is that like could I do it?
And they're like, yeah sure,they had no faith that I was
actually going to save up enoughof my money to afford to go to
Europe for spring break.
So I started saving as soon asI got back and got to work here
in College Station I did not goto the grocery store for three
months.
I only ate ramen.
That was very college fashionto me and I saved every penny I
(13:52):
could because I wanted to beable to go Eventually.
I saved up enough money.
I ended up booking a flight inmy office at work one day and I
texted Logan and said, hey, I'mcoming, and he ended up finding
us travel to.
We went to London and Paris alsoduring that week and it was
absolutely, absolutely chaotic.
It was so much fun.
He's one of my best friends inthe world and we really just got
(14:14):
to experience those things thatnot a lot of college kids have
the opportunity to, and I thinkit's a really cool experience.
Now, seeing things, I will sayEurope it's not the same as the
US, but there are a lot ofsimilarities.
So it did.
It did widen my perspective,but not as much as some of my
trips I'm about to lot ofsimilarities.
So it did.
It did widen my perspective,but not as much as some of my
trips I'm about to get to did,but it was truly one of the
(14:36):
coolest things and the amount ofpride I felt that I had set
that as my goal and I had savedmy money and put that effort
towards that and accomplished it.
I was.
That was something I did at 19years old, and that was
something I walked away veryproud of and we had a blast.
And I'll insert a little funnystory here um, logan and I were
doing this the very cheap way,so we were staying in hostels.
(14:59):
Our modes of transportationwere interesting, to say the
least.
So when we were in London andwe wanted to go to Paris, we
decided to book an overnight busbecause we didn't have to pay
for a hostel for that night andalso it was the cheapest mode of
transportation, and it was $30.
(15:19):
And so what could go wrong,right?
Wow.
So we ended up on thisovernight bus that we thought
was going to go under the tunnelunderneath the English Channel.
We ended up.
There were only eight people onthe bus.
We were the only two that spokeEnglish.
We ended up on a ferry in themiddle of the night, a huge
ferry with approximately 20people on it.
(15:41):
It was one of the eeriestexperiences ever there.
For a minute we reallyquestioned our decision, but we
made it to Paris safely and wehave a story we can tell to
anyone at any time.
So that's really great.
But that was my firstinternational experience.
The next two were actuallythrough Texas A&M, the first one
I went.
Almost a week after I got backfrom Europe I went to San Miguel
(16:03):
de Allende, mexico, and thatwas through a program at Texas
A&M University.
It came to my email and it wasan opportunity to go to Mexico
where it was a highly subsidizedcost, and so I applied for this
program, kind of shot in thedark, I didn't know much about
it and it was with one of ourassociate deans, dr Curtin, and
(16:24):
she takes us to Mexico and it'struly a cultural experience.
So the idea behind it islearning the culture of Mexico
and because that just widensyour perspective so much, and so
we had a class for it, and soin the weeks leading up to the
trip we'd go to class everyFriday and she would share
stories about Mexico.
We did research projects, meand my group did the food and
(16:47):
other projects, did art andmusic, and we really just like
immersed ourselves in Mexicanhistory and their culture.
And then we got to go to Mexicoand actually experience it.
We also visited a high tech anda low tech farm there and that
was one of the most eye-openingexperiences I have ever had.
So we started out going to thehigh tech farm and it was very
(17:11):
similar to something you wouldsee in the US Very similar.
They had drip irrigation andthey had different chemicals
that they were mixing in withtheir water.
Just a very high-tech operation.
And then that afternoon wecompletely flipped a switch and
we went to a low tech operationwhere it was one guy with less
(17:33):
than an acre of land that heplowed by hand using a mule, and
we as students got to try to dothat by ourselves.
We got to actually use thatplow that was attached to the
mule and I did one pass and Ibroke a sweat.
And it was one of like the mostchallenging things I had ever
done and it truly, truly openedmy eyes, because you hear about
(17:53):
people doing that, but until youactually experience it it's
really hard to grasp whatthey're actually doing and how
challenging that can be, butthat they're doing that to
provide for their family thesame opportunities to have that
(18:13):
same technology at thathigh-tech farm, and that is
something that I think willstick with me for the rest of my
life.
It was just such an eye-openingexperience.
And then, lastly, that wasMexico.
For the most part I can't tellyou all about it, but then,
lastly, I spent about a month inNamibia, which is a country in
Africa it's right above SouthAfrica and that was a study
abroad I did through Texas A&Mwith a professor named Dr Jack
(18:35):
Elliott.
He is one of the mostphenomenal humans on the planet
and I'm actually super excitedbecause I have the opportunity
to possibly go back to Namibianext May as a teaching assistant
if I can recruit 15 Texas A&Mstudents to enroll in the
program, and that's my goalright now is to recruit enough
kids to go back that I also getto go.
(18:57):
But Namibia was truly amazing.
I had never been to Africa.
I did not know at all what toexpect.
I went into it kind of blind.
We had done our research, butit was just truly so much
different than what I'm used to.
So, like I said, europe hassome similarities to America.
(19:19):
Africa does as well, but it's amuch lesser, much less
similarities than there are toAmerica, than there are in
Europe.
And so, while we were there, itwas just amazing to see the slow
(19:41):
pace of life that they have,and it was just everything was
so much in Africa.
Yes, okay, okay.
It was just so slow, everyone.
There wasn't as much of a hurryand a bustle as you see here
and then one of the.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Can I ask you why?
Why do you think that it wasthat way?
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Go ahead.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Why do you think it was slow?
Speaker 3 (20:02):
I think partially is they are less developed than we
are and I think that that has todo with it.
A lot of the people.
It was also heartbreakingbecause the distribution of
wealth in Namibia is actuallyvery extreme and there is a very
high percentage of thepopulation living in extreme
poverty and you just seestudents just walking to school
(20:24):
and people outside sitting atbooths selling their craft booth
selling their craft, and itjust here.
There's just so much corporatework and hustle and bustle to
get to the next place and thenext appointment and there it's
just a simpler time.
And but the thing that was themost amazing about it all was
they all had smiles on theirface.
(20:45):
They weren't upset that theywere in that situation.
They weren't throwingthemselves a pity party or woe
is me but they were truly andgenuinely happy and they were
trying to make opportunities forourselves.
We went to this place calledPenduka and actually I have a
bag right here that I got fromPenduka and what Penduka is?
(21:08):
It is a group of women who theydon't have as many
opportunities to work in Namibia, and so it's a group of women
who came together, created thisplace called Penduka, and it's
where women can come to get asecond income for their families
by doing their crafts and thatmight look like hand embroidery,
(21:29):
like the bag I just showed you.
They also break up glassbottles and make their own beads
, and they're genuinely so happywhen they're doing it.
We got to meet with them andtalk with them and learn about
what they do, and it is one ofthe coolest things.
Their mission was just amazingto give those women just an
opportunity and a chance to havea job, and it was just crazy,
(21:50):
like the things that we take forgranted here are just so much
more apparent when you gosomewhere where their way of
life is so much different, andso Africa was really cool, and
getting to learn about that andjust really see the difference
in that slower pace of life thatI had never really witnessed
before was truly an amazingexperience, and all three trips
(22:12):
were awesome and I'm just gladthat I'm getting to travel.
I don't think there's a goodreason for me to say no to an
opportunity to go abroad rightnow, and things could be
different, so I need to takethis opportunity while I can and
jump on it and act on it.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Boy.
You just so much, oh mygoodness, boy, you just so much,
oh my goodness, so much youjust shared is so valuable.
I hope people are listeningintently to what you just shared
.
I love the fact that you're,you saw an opportunity and
you're making yourself available.
I love the fact that you talkedabout making sacrifices to get
(22:53):
to the goal.
You didn't have to do that, butit was important to you so
you're willing to, and I knowthe Roman noodle routine too, so
I know what you're talkingabout.
You know you made somesacrifices to get to the goal.
Your willingness to soak up theexperience, the awareness.
(23:13):
My son and I my oldest son and Iwe went and worked in an
orphanage in Chihuahua, mexico,and we know, I know exactly what
you're talking about.
You know it's just it's not asdeveloped the things you know.
I remember coming back and youknow we would tell all the kids
just throw your cell phone andradios and cameras on a table
and they're like, oh no, youknow we don't want them to get
taken.
So, trust me, just throw themon the table.
(23:34):
And they'd throw them on thetable because the kids that were
there, they just wanted to play, they just wanted somebody to
play with them.
They were orphans, they justwanted somebody to be with them.
And I remember on our way backI was asking them I said what
did you learn?
And they said just how much wehave.
And they don't.
And I said, but don't forget,they don't miss what they've
(23:56):
never had.
And so, to your point, thelittle things in their life just
make them grateful.
They're happy.
I support another ministrycalled Jacaranda Ministries,
very much like Penduka thatyou're describing, and it's some
doctors here in Wichita Fallsand they go over and provide
(24:18):
services to this little villageand over time they've seen their
health improve, they've seentheir education improve.
But the whole experience, whenyou're taking it all in the
whole experience, you learn justhow much agriculture affects
all these things.
When the doctors are there andthey, the kids, come up and they
(24:41):
ask them what's wrong with you,and they'll point to their head
and they'll point to their tailend and they'll say worms and
worms.
And little kids are telling youthe five parasites that live in
their gut.
And that's the reason thedoctors, you know one of the
first things they put in for iswormers and vitamins.
But that's not something that wewould think about.
(25:02):
We would think about, let'sjust send food.
Well, the challenge is you'resending food, but the parasites
are the ones winning the battle.
They don't have the samerefrigeration system we have.
They don't have access to cleanwater Just what you've shared
alone.
Even Europe, milan versusAfrica, and maybe even parts of
(25:25):
Mexico.
We see these distinction ofwhat the challenges in our world
really look like.
And they are.
They are big.
They are big challenges.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
Yes, sir, but I think to your point.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
There's opportunity because of that.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
Yes and I think that that was one of the biggest
conclusions I drew at the end ofmy travel is I want to do
something, that where I can beinvolved in these different
communities and I can do my partin helping them and helping
people back home.
And I don't know exactly whatthat looks like, but I do want
to get my toes in internationalwaters and really just learn
(26:07):
with them and grow with them andcontinue to develop my
perspective, and I think nowagain is one of the only times I
can do it.
That's why I'm looking to dosomething international as soon
as I graduate, because I thinkthis is the prime time where I
don't have a family to worryabout.
It's just me, and I'll miss mymom and dad and my grandparents
(26:29):
if I do it.
But I think this is the bestopportunity I'll have and you
got to act on it when you get anopportunity like this.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Well, I'm proud of you for doing it and I think
you're absolutely right, and Iappreciate the fact that you're
willing to share.
I'm also appreciative of thefact that you're willing to pour
this into other people, becausesomebody may be listening right
now in a classroom and theirmind is now saying, wow, maybe I
can do something like that,maybe I can travel and have
those experiences.
(26:57):
And, by the way, it won'tmatter where you go.
I mean, I've talked to peoplethat have been to Australia.
I've talked to people that havebeen to Australia.
I've talked to people that havebeen to Iceland, to New Zealand
, to Greenland, obviously,africa, south America you know
we've had state officers thathave gone there.
It's the fact that we get tosee beyond you know this fact.
(27:20):
We get to see beyond our block.
It's the fact that we get tosee beyond our city limits.
We get to see beyond our countyline, beyond our state line,
and then I've been in everystate in the country except for
Alaska.
It's a great experience to takein and see what cultures are
like, what food is like.
(27:41):
I remember asking one of myboard members he used to be the
head of All Flex Tags and he wasfrom New Zealand, I believe
originally Brian Bolton and Iasked Brian, I said you travel
abroad, you travel around theworld.
How is it different than here?
And what's interesting is whathe shared is exactly what you've
(28:05):
shared.
He said Aaron, it's not.
He said they're just like us,they want to provide for their
families.
They're just like us.
They laugh, they dance, theytell jokes, they have heartache.
And what he did just like whatyou just shared he's put it in
perspective that we're reallyall pretty much the same.
(28:28):
Sometimes we're just a littlemore grateful because we realize
it, and sometimes we just workharder because we're not aware
that we're not supposed to.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Yes, sir.
And you said that so beautifully, it's so cool and everywhere
I've traveled, one of myfavorite things is talking to
the locals and it's crazy howeasily you can connect with
those people that you just youmay assume they're different
than you, but we're all reallylike you said, we're so similar
and it's so easy to make thoseconnections and learn from them
(29:02):
and learn from their experiencesand get to share some of my own
experiences.
I remember I had oneconversation and was trying to
explain what FFA was at onepoint when I was in Africa and
trying to explain that that wascompletely foreign to them, when
here, I would say, a majorityof the general public.
They may not know exactly whatFFA is, but they have a general
(29:24):
understanding, maybe at leastwhat the letters stand for.
And so that was something thatstood out to people.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Well, no doubt that's a challenge.
Language barriers are alegitimate challenge.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
They are yes.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
I remember I had the opportunity to hear Hugh Grant
at the time, who was thepresident and CEO of Monsanto,
and he was traveling over inAfrica and they came up to this
village in a school and all thekids were out underneath the
tree and he said, oh, that'sgreat, you got the kids outside,
they're getting fresh air.
He said that's wonderful andthey said, no, mr Grant, you
(29:57):
don't understand this is an aridland and we can't hardly get
anything to grow.
But you guys invented a droughttolerant seed and now we've got
to harvest and the problem iswe've now harvested so much that
the only place we have left tostore it is the schoolhouse.
And he said we have a languagebarrier to the village down the
(30:20):
road and we can't communicate tothem that we have food.
There's a river over here thatprevents us from getting grain
across to this other village,and so when we think about the
opportunities in agriculture,they're huge.
They're the ability tocommunicate, they're the ability
(30:40):
to engineer, they're theability to use science to
produce food with limitedresources.
When I think about proteinproduction, you know it's real
easy in our country to thinkabout.
You know, I worked at BoysRanch.
I remember we used to harvest10 hogs and five beef a week.
When I went to Texas Tech, Icut meat.
(31:03):
That's my first job was I was ameat cutter.
But where you've been and whatyou've seen, they don't have
coal storage like we have.
They don't have the watercapacity to really clean a
carcass, maybe the way it needsto be cleaned.
So protein is going to become areal issue when we start
thinking about food sourcesaround the world and you know we
(31:25):
debate so many things in thiscountry.
I might have shared the storywith you when you were a state
officer, but I went to Area 3 toa large Houston area school and
spoke for a day and I rememberthe teacher told me she said
Aaron, I've got practice invegans and vegetarians.
And I said that's fine.
So I went the whole day andfinally this one young lady came
(31:46):
up to me at the end of the dayand she said Mr Alejandro, I'm a
practice in vegan.
What do you think about that?
And I said I think that's great.
And she said well, you don'tthink your way's better, don't
you have cattle?
And I said well, yeah, but whatpart of my presentation did you
(32:06):
not understand?
People are going to die todayfrom starvation.
I said you know, if you thinkwe can get there on a plant,
let's have that discussion.
If I think we can get therewith some animal protein, let's
have that discussion.
But why don't we feed peoplefirst and debate later?
Speaker 3 (32:21):
That's so true.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
And I think that's part of the challenges and I
appreciate again the fact thatyou've seen.
It allows you to provide atestimony that nobody can ever
say that didn't happen to you.
The fact that you'veexperienced, that you got your
hands there.
Nobody can ever say, Zoe,that's not what it's like over
there.
You get to say it is, and letme tell you about it because you
(32:43):
experienced.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Yes, I think one of the coolest things about that
and about what I've reallylearned is that I grew up in an
agricultural background and Inever thought I would come back
and be involved in anagricultural background.
That's just because I thought Ihad to be working on my dad's
farm or working with cattle inorder to be involved in
agriculture.
But I've learned and I knewthis before my travels, but it's
(33:07):
even further solidified justhow diverse the opportunities in
agriculture really are.
It's like I have this passionfor travel and international
experience and I have thispassion for agriculture and
there are so many different jobsthat I can pursue that
intertwine those perfectly.
And had you asked me thatbefore my time in the FFA, I
(33:28):
would have thought that you wereabsolutely crazy if you told me
that and I would have thoughtthere would never be a way that
I could intertwine internationalexperience and agriculture.
But there are two peas in a podand the opportunity is truly
endless because the whole worldneeds to eat.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
You have no idea how much I appreciate what you're
saying.
I've had kids, by the way,former FFA members that were
through our ambassador programthat applied for internships and
stuff, and I remember on morethan one occasion I've had them
come back and say I'd like to dothis internship, but I have
this opportunity to travelabroad.
And I remember telling themthen you're not working for me
(34:09):
and they would be a littleshocked that I would say that
and I'd say, listen, I love thefact that you want to come back
and serve, but if you've gotthat opportunity, I really need
you to go experience it.
I need you to go take it inbecause the value that you're
going to bring back from thatexperience is going to be far
greater than any experience thatI can give you through the
(34:31):
foundation, even though they'regreat experiences.
Don't take me wrong.
That is a very unique experienceand I'm just so glad that
you've had it.
And again, that's the reasonwhy I really wanted you on this
podcast is I wanted you to sharethat and you've done it, and
you've done it beautifully, bythe way.
You've been very articulate inthe way that you've shared it.
(34:51):
You've shared it with clarityand I'm hopeful that the
students and the teachers andthe guests that are listening
are really going to be able toassimilate the value of what
you've just shared, because it'sreally good.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
Thank you All right, so let's talk a little bit.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
You've already see, I was going to ask you about
opportunities in agriculture.
Well, you've covered that, solet's, and you've talked.
You talked a little bit aboutFFA, what it did for you, that
kind of lent itself.
I mean.
I would just be curious youknow, what skills did you learn
in FFA that you're learning,you're still using today and
(35:31):
that you applied when you werein a foreign country?
Speaker 3 (35:35):
Perfect.
Yes, so the FFA is a reallycool program.
We all know this.
It's a CTE program and itoffers you a ton of skills.
Really cool program, we allknow this, it's a CTE program
and it offers you a ton ofskills.
I wasn't somebody who reallylearned those hands-on
applicable skills like weldingor anything like that.
That wasn't my cup of tea.
For some students and for someFFA members, that is perfect.
That is awesome.
(35:56):
I wasn't into that kind ofthing, and so I think that's
part of the reason I was kind ofinitially deterred from the FFA
.
But little did I realize that Iactually learned a ton of
skills in the FFA that I may nothave initially recognized, that
have led me and shaped me intoexactly who I am today, and I
think really those are theleadership skills, the grit, the
(36:18):
humility that the FFA taught me, and so leadership's a big one.
I served as an officer indifferent capacities and that
really gives you an opportunityto learn how you yourself can be
the best leader and what itlooks like to be a good leader
and to put members first andothers first and to have that
selfless attitude.
Grit is probably the biggestthing I think the FFA taught me
(36:42):
I was always the bridesmaid,never the bride.
I got second at state and somany different things, and I
think it can be really easy tolet that discourage you and make
you want to give up, but it'staught me grit like no other and
that has meant the world to mein my college studies, in my
travels.
It took grit to eat ramen forthree months and to really stay
(37:03):
focused on that goal, and theonly reason I knew how to do
that was because I learned itthrough the FFA, because I would
set these goals in the FFA andI would have challenges, I would
have hurdles and things wouldcome up as roadblocks, but I
just continued to persevere andI had my ag teachers, I had my
family and I had my friends toencourage me and ultimately I
(37:24):
learned that you can't give upand sometimes, even if you give
100% effort, you may not win,and that's okay.
And I think that's where Ireally learned humility.
You don't have to be the best,because as long as you gave your
best and you know that, you canconfidently say that that's
really all that mattered.
And so I think those threethings are some of the skills
(37:45):
that have really helped me notonly in college but in pursuing
my dreams and other capacities,like travel, because they're
important and they're importantfor anything.
And I learned those threeskills not in my literature
classroom but in my ag classroomand it's something that I think
I will carry with me foreverand I am eternally grateful that
(38:06):
the FFA taught me that.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Wow, what else can I ask?
You're providing all thisincredible wisdom and you know I
can't wait to see where you endup, Um, and you know I can't
wait to see where you end up.
Um, the the want to, that youhave the willingness to think
outside of the box, thewillingness to bring that grit
(38:32):
to the table, the fact thatyou're a happy person, that
you're a grateful person.
You don't have a sense ofentitlement, you have a sense of
I want to go out and dosomething good, All of those
things.
I just cannot wait to see whereyou land, because I think we're
already very proud of you.
I know your mom and dad havegot to be, and your grandparents
(38:54):
.
I can't wait to see where youend up and the difference that
you're going to make.
You're already making it.
You and I have no idea.
Mike Rowe was on the podcast andMike Rowe and I were talking
and I like what he said one time.
He said you know they call usbroadcasters in the world of
(39:14):
multimedia, and he said that'san agricultural term, because
broadcasting is what they wouldfarmers would do with seeds, and
so when I thought about thepodcast and growing our future,
that's what we're doing.
We're broadcasting yourincredible insights, we're
(39:35):
broadcasting this hope ofopportunity, we're broadcasting
the blessing of what we have inthis country, and so thank you
so much for all that you'veshared.
It is incredible.
Speaker 3 (39:47):
Oh, thank you.
That means a lot.
I can remember being youngerand looking up to different
people state officers and theFFA and thinking I could never
do the things that they're doing, and I want anybody who's
listening, who might be youngerthan me yes, you can.
Don't let anybody tell you youcan't.
(40:09):
It's all up to you, it's all upto your mindset and, like I
said earlier, just having thatgrit to keep trying.
If you fall down, get up again.
No goal is too big, and if youdon't reach your goal exactly
how you planned for it, it meansGod had a greater plan and to
set another goal and to keep ongetting up and trying.
And so that's the only reasonI'm here where I'm at today is
because I've had people whosupported me and I dreamed big
and chased them as hard as Icould.
Speaker 2 (40:29):
So Well, we're going to end on that, because that is
really good.
So, but you do get one last funquestion.
All of my guests get one lastfun question.
I'm just curious Zoe Nolan,what is the best concert you've
ever been to?
Speaker 3 (40:45):
Oh, oh, that's hard, because I just went to really
two good ones this summer andit's like a tie.
I went to a Zach Bryan concertlast week actually, and it was
phenomenal.
I've been a Zach Bryan fan foryears, before he even blew up.
I've been a Zach Bryan fan.
But then the one that ties withit is, I went to a Noah Kahn
concert um, kind of like countryindie I don't know how to
(41:09):
classify him, but I'm a huge fanof his music and I went to one
at the beginning of the summerand it was like outdoors and an
amphitheater and just the vibeswere immaculate.
Sorry, sorry, that was so Gen Zof me, but and it was great, I
loved it.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
I got to tell you, asking that question to the
people that I've had on here.
The scope is unbelievable fromyou know, sinatra, michael Bublé
, sarah Bareilles, all the wayto King George, to Metallica and
Pitbull.
So I love it.
I love it, zoe.
(41:48):
Thank you so much for sharingsome of your time with us today.
Really appreciate it To all ofour listeners.
Thank you again for stopping bythe Growing Our Future podcast.
I don't know about the folksthat are going to watch this.
If you're a young person, Ihope you're looking up to Zoe
and you're saying, wow, maybe Ican do that.
(42:10):
Look, she told me that I coulddo it.
And maybe, if you're somebodylike me that's got a few gray
hairs, you listen to this younglady and you're that much more
hopeful for our future that thisis the person that's going to
become the role model for mygranddaughter and my grandson
and my youngest.
I mean, this is why I do my job, because I get to work with
(42:34):
people like this and this is howwe grow the future right here.
This is how we grow the future.
We share incredible ideas in acountry full of incredible
opportunities and we have asupport system that will get us
to that door.
It can't get us through the door.
We got to take advantage.
Zoe said you've got to be theone to push through, but we're
(42:59):
going to do everything we can toget you there.
So thanks for stopping by theGrowing Our Future podcast,
remember.
If you want to know what thefuture is, grow it.
Listen to everything Zoe saidtoday.
Plant those seeds of greatnessand grow an incredible future.
And oh, by the way, until wemeet again, go do something
great for somebody else.
Trust me, you're going to feelgreat about it and the world's
(43:21):
going to be better because youdid.
Speaker 1 (43:32):
Thank you all for joining us.
We hope you've enjoyed thisepisode of the Growing Our
Future podcast.
This show is sponsored by theTexas FFA Foundation, whose
mission is to strengthenagricultural science education
so students can develop theirpotential for personal.
Welcome to the Growing Our Future podcast.
In this show, the Texas FFAFoundation will take on a
journey of exploration intoagricultural science, education,
leadership development andinsights from subject matter
experts and sponsors who providethe fuel to make dreams come
true.
Here's your host, AaronAlejandro.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, good morning, good afternoon or good evening
or whenever you may be tuninginto the Growing Our Future
podcast.
We appreciate the fact thatyou're dropping by and sharing a
little bit of your time with us, and we appreciate the
opportunity to share some of ourtime with you.
And the reason that's importantis because this podcast is all
about bringing on guests,incredible guests that share
(00:53):
their personal experiences,their insights, their expertise,
in hopes that maybe in theirtime with us, we can find those
little seeds of greatness thatwe can plant in our life and
make our way just a little bitbetter.
Greatness that we can plant inour life and make our way just a
little bit better.
Like we always say, if you wantto know what the future is,
grow it.
Well, to grow it, you got toplant the right seeds, and I
think we've brought on a greatguest today to help us plant
(01:17):
some seeds of greatness.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's anhonor to introduce you to Zoe
Nolan Zoe, thank you for joiningus.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Thank you for having me, Mr Alejandro.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
We're going to learn more about Zoe here in a minute.
She's a 2022-23 Texas FFAofficer.
She's from a little town inWest Texas called Seminole.
You're going to learn moreabout Zoe here in a second.
But, Zoe, we start everypodcast off with the same
question.
I love to ask my guests thisquestion what are you grateful
(01:48):
for today?
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Oh, what am I grateful for today?
Well, there's a lot, I think.
One of the big things that I'mreally grateful for,
particularly today, is theweather.
It's warm.
I love the summer months.
It gives me an opportunity toget outside and spend some time
with some fresh air.
And then, of course, I'mgrateful for my family and my
friends, and I'm grateful foryou and for asking me to be here
today.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Oh, you're too nice.
Well, I agree with you.
I love the outdoors, by the way.
I absolutely love the outdoors,so I love good weather.
I also appreciate, like yousaid, family and friends and
good connections.
I mean, it's amazing, I think,sometimes, if we'll just pause
and reflect on what we have tobe grateful for, we tend to be a
(02:32):
little happier, a little moreenergetic and realize that
there's a lot of good out there,in spite of maybe all the
negative that surrounds ussometimes.
So that's why we always like tostart the podcast with
gratitude.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
I think it's a great way to start the podcast.
It's a great way to start yourday, even that's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I'm glad you said that.
Zoe.
So I had an opportunity to getto know you.
I kind of watched you kind ofthrough your FFA career.
But for the people that may notknow your background, would you
just kind of take us throughhow you ended up?
What are you about?
A junior or senior now at A&M?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
I'll be a junior at Texas A&M Okay.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
So I know you didn't just fall into that chair.
So why don't you take usthrough a little bit of your
journey that led you to whereyou are right now at Texas A&M
University and tell us a littlebit about what you're majoring
in and why?
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Yeah, of course.
So I was raised by my parentsthey're wonderful people out in
West Texas in a little towncalled Seminole, about an hour
and a half from Lubbock, texasand I was raised heavily in the
agriculture industry.
So we raised a lot of row cropspeanuts, cottons and the sorts
and then we also had a littlebit of cattle that we raised
more of a cow-calf operation.
I was just really immersed inthe agricultural world.
(03:52):
I grew up in it, riding in thetractor with my dad and my
granddad that super traditionalbackground.
It was something that Iactually ended up, when I got a
little older, kind of rejecting.
I fell in love with sports andsports were my thing.
When I was younger, especiallythroughout, like middle school
and the early years of highschool, it was really like what
(04:13):
I cared about.
I played volleyball andvolleyball was where most of my
focus was.
I also played basketball, I rancross country, I ran track, I
did all the things and that'swhat I really cared about and I
thought that's what I was goingto end up going to college for
(04:35):
was volleyball.
Then I ended up tearing not onebut two ACLs my sophomore and
junior year of high school and Iwas already involved in FFA
because it was kind of thenatural thing to do.
I already showed hogs and I wasvery involved in my chapter and
then the way that my ACLsurgeries kind of lined up it
gave me even more encouragementto be involved in the FFA.
(04:57):
And so when I tore my first ACL, I ended up running for
district office.
I tore my second ACL, I ended uprunning for area office and
then ultimately I truly fell inlove with the agriculture
industry and really realizedwhat I was missing out on that.
What my family was doing wastruly a noble thing.
Not a lot of people can saytheir dad contributes to feeding
(05:18):
the world, but I could and thatwas pretty cool and really I
started to recognize theimportance of the agriculture
industry and the like, relevanceand just pure meaning behind
the FFA that other organizationsmay not have.
Ffa is a fantastic leadershiporganization.
I think it's the best one outthere.
There's other organizationsthat teach leadership Like I
(05:39):
learned leadership when I playedsports as well, but the meaning
behind the FFA is just so muchdeeper than the meaning behind
the other things I was doing,and whenever I became super
passionate about that I wasalways going to be an Aggie,
I'll just say it.
I came home from the hospital inan A&M onesie because my dad
was an Aggie and I wasbrainwashed from an early age
(06:02):
and so I had my heart set onTexas A&M.
I didn't apply anywhere elsebut I decided to major in
agriculture and so right now I'ma double major in agricultural
communications and journalismand agricultural economics at
Texas A&M.
I absolutely love my majors.
If you ask me what I want to doin the future, that's where it
(06:24):
gets a little trickier.
I'm not 100% certain, but I havegained a little bit of guidance
and clarity over the past yearand I want to do something in
international ag.
There's a program I really wantto start whenever I graduate
and it's called theInternational Agricultural
Education Fellowship Program andyou spend around a year in
(06:45):
either Ghana or Guatemalastarting the equivalent of a 4-H
club in those third worldcountries and teaching them
sustainable agriculture to theyouth there, and that's kind of
where my head's at for aftergraduation.
But right now I'm heavilyinvolved at Texas A&M.
I'm the vice president ofpublic relations for the student
(07:06):
council for the College of Ag.
I also work for AgriLife ontheir communications and
marketing team as a studentworker and I love how it ties me
directly in with the collegeand I get to work closely with
staff and with our dean and justcontinue to build those
connections and really make themost of my time at Texas A&M.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Wow, Junior.
So how old are you now, Zoe?
I know I'm not supposed to askthat, but I'm going to ask.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
I just turned 20.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
What a resume Already at 20 years old.
Zoe, you need to be proud ofthat, and I'm proud of you.
You've given us a lot, by theway, I hope.
One of the things that I likeabout doing these podcast
interviews is what I hope peoplehear is when people are sharing
their testimony, there'ssomebody out there that's going
(07:56):
to be able to relate to that.
I guarantee you there's somebodyout there who's also into
sports and they might run into ahurdle that makes you, you know
, kind of deters them intoanother direction.
And so the fact that you'vetaught us that you can look for
other options to it's okay to tomaybe move away, but come back
to something, and then and then,as you begin to engage more, I
(08:21):
think you're able to see more.
Zig Ziglar always said go asfar as you can see, and when you
get there, you'll always beable to see further.
And when I look at your journeyand just the comments that
you've shared just in the firstfive, 10 minutes of this
interview, that's exactly whatyou've done.
You've gone to a point, butwhen you got there, you're now
(08:41):
looking further, saying, well,what about this or what about
that?
So I just want to complimentyou on that.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Well, thank you.
I'm honestly glad that I was asinvolved in sports as I was,
because it made me trulyappreciate what my family had in
the agriculture industry I wasraised in, and I think it gave
me a deeper, more profoundappreciation for that, and
that's where I'm at right now.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Oh, that's great, that's great for that, and
that's where I'm at right now.
Oh, that's great, that's great.
I also like the fact thatyou're looking beyond just the
borders, our domestic borders,and you're looking at the
international scope.
One of the programs that I wasinvolved with for a while, when
it was really going full steam,was the Latinos in Agriculture
(09:23):
Leadership Conference, and Iremember one time I was there
and there was a young man thereInterestingly enough, he was
from A&M and he was fromPakistan, interestingly enough,
and so I asked him out ofcuriosity because that's the way
I am, I'm just curious and Isaid, ok, you're an
international student, butyou're at the Latinos in
Agriculture LeadershipConference.
I said, okay, you're aninternational student, but
(09:43):
you're at the Latinos inAgriculture Leadership
Conference, and he said I'malways looking for opportunities
to find out more about what'sgoing on around the world.
So as we began to talk, he toldme that what his major was at
A&M and that his hope was to goback home and help some of the
countries that were strugglingwith food sources meeting their
(10:06):
food needs, and so I thought,man, there's no doubt this kid's
going to go far, because he'sgot something in his mind that
becomes a target.
And what do they say aboutgoals?
Goals are targets that beckon,and so when you start seeing
those little goals, you startmoving toward those, and so I
(10:26):
just wanted to compliment youthat it's not that you may ever
end up there, but you may end upthere with a chance to gain
knowledge that you bring homeand maybe you instill that in
somebody else, or maybe that youbring that back to y'all's
agricultural operations.
Yeah, I just think it's a greatthing that you're doing.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Thank you, I love it.
I love just widening myworldview and learning more and
seeing things in life.
That is kind of different.
I think perspective iseverything, and the more you
widen your perspective, the moreknowledgeable you can be when
you make decisions, and so solet's stay with that for a
second.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
And just for just a point of reference, folks, one
of the reasons that I wanted Zoeto come on to this podcast is
because I have, in the last twoyears, kind of lived vicariously
through her travels abroad andI'm talking in a very short
period of time.
This young lady has been allover the world.
(11:30):
Zoe, would you just take usthrough some of the places you
and I'm telling everybody thisis in the last two years Take us
through some of the places thatyou've been and some of your
takeaways from those experiences.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Yes, for sure.
So you said it was the last twoyears, but I'll be really
honest, it's been the lastprobably six months that it's
really picked up.
So when I was younger, Idreamed of traveling, like that
was the one thing I've alwayswanted to do.
But I was always busy.
I was showing hogs, I wasplaying sports.
So travel wasn't something myfamily really prioritized,
(12:03):
because any of the traveling wewere doing it was for those
extracurricular activities.
But I always told myself oneday I would travel the world.
Well, my freshman year ofcollege I was a state officer,
so I was a little bit dizzy.
I had things on my plate allthe time and I absolutely loved
my year of service, buttraveling wasn't as feasible
(12:24):
during that time.
But whenever I started mysophomore year of college, I
realized that this was myopportunity.
I'm young, I'm not married, Idon't have kids.
This is one of the easiest andmost affordable times that I can
travel and pursue my dream, andthe only thing holding me back
at that point was myself, and soI made it my goal that I was
going to start traveling now andI wasn't going to make excuses
(12:44):
for it.
So the first trip I went on, Ihad never been overseas before.
But the first trip I went onwas actually one of my teammates
.
He studied abroad.
His name's Logan.
He was one of my state officerteammates for clarification
there and he was studying abroadin Milan, italy, for an entire
semester.
And before he left I told him Isaid, logan, I'm going to come
(13:06):
see you for spring break.
And he kind of laughed.
I'm super spontaneous and I sayall kinds of things and it
really just depends if Iactually follow through on it.
And saying that I was going topay for a trip for myself to
Italy was kind of out there.
So he thought I was kidding andso I made it my goal.
So over Christmas break I askedmy parents.
I said, mom, dad, if I saved upenough money theoretically to
(13:29):
go to Europe for spring break.
Is that like could I do it?
And they're like, yeah sure,they had no faith that I was
actually going to save up enoughof my money to afford to go to
Europe for spring break.
So I started saving as soon asI got back and got to work here
in College Station I did not goto the grocery store for three
months.
I only ate ramen.
That was very college fashionto me and I saved every penny I
(13:52):
could because I wanted to beable to go Eventually.
I saved up enough money.
I ended up booking a flight inmy office at work one day and I
texted Logan and said, hey, I'mcoming, and he ended up finding
us travel to.
We went to London and Paris alsoduring that week and it was
absolutely, absolutely chaotic.
It was so much fun.
He's one of my best friends inthe world and we really just got
(14:14):
to experience those things thatnot a lot of college kids have
the opportunity to, and I thinkit's a really cool experience.
Now, seeing things, I will sayEurope it's not the same as the
US, but there are a lot ofsimilarities.
So it did.
It did widen my perspective,but not as much as some of my
trips I'm about to lot ofsimilarities.
So it did.
It did widen my perspective,but not as much as some of my
trips I'm about to get to did,but it was truly one of the
(14:36):
coolest things and the amount ofpride I felt that I had set
that as my goal and I had savedmy money and put that effort
towards that and accomplished it.
I was.
That was something I did at 19years old, and that was
something I walked away veryproud of and we had a blast.
And I'll insert a little funnystory here um, logan and I were
doing this the very cheap way,so we were staying in hostels.
(14:59):
Our modes of transportationwere interesting, to say the
least.
So when we were in London andwe wanted to go to Paris, we
decided to book an overnight busbecause we didn't have to pay
for a hostel for that night andalso it was the cheapest mode of
transportation, and it was $30.
(15:19):
And so what could go wrong,right?
Wow.
So we ended up on thisovernight bus that we thought
was going to go under the tunnelunderneath the English Channel.
We ended up.
There were only eight people onthe bus.
We were the only two that spokeEnglish.
We ended up on a ferry in themiddle of the night, a huge
ferry with approximately 20people on it.
(15:41):
It was one of the eeriestexperiences ever there.
For a minute we reallyquestioned our decision, but we
made it to Paris safely and wehave a story we can tell to
anyone at any time.
So that's really great.
But that was my firstinternational experience.
The next two were actuallythrough Texas A&M, the first one
I went.
Almost a week after I got backfrom Europe I went to San Miguel
(16:03):
de Allende, mexico, and thatwas through a program at Texas
A&M University.
It came to my email and it wasan opportunity to go to Mexico
where it was a highly subsidizedcost, and so I applied for this
program, kind of shot in thedark, I didn't know much about
it and it was with one of ourassociate deans, dr Curtin, and
(16:24):
she takes us to Mexico and it'struly a cultural experience.
So the idea behind it islearning the culture of Mexico
and because that just widensyour perspective so much, and so
we had a class for it, and soin the weeks leading up to the
trip we'd go to class everyFriday and she would share
stories about Mexico.
We did research projects, meand my group did the food and
(16:47):
other projects, did art andmusic, and we really just like
immersed ourselves in Mexicanhistory and their culture.
And then we got to go to Mexicoand actually experience it.
We also visited a high tech anda low tech farm there and that
was one of the most eye-openingexperiences I have ever had.
So we started out going to thehigh tech farm and it was very
(17:11):
similar to something you wouldsee in the US Very similar.
They had drip irrigation andthey had different chemicals
that they were mixing in withtheir water.
Just a very high-tech operation.
And then that afternoon wecompletely flipped a switch and
we went to a low tech operationwhere it was one guy with less
(17:33):
than an acre of land that heplowed by hand using a mule, and
we as students got to try to dothat by ourselves.
We got to actually use thatplow that was attached to the
mule and I did one pass and Ibroke a sweat.
And it was one of like the mostchallenging things I had ever
done and it truly, truly openedmy eyes, because you hear about
(17:53):
people doing that, but until youactually experience it it's
really hard to grasp whatthey're actually doing and how
challenging that can be, butthat they're doing that to
provide for their family thesame opportunities to have that
(18:13):
same technology at thathigh-tech farm, and that is
something that I think willstick with me for the rest of my
life.
It was just such an eye-openingexperience.
And then, lastly, that wasMexico.
For the most part I can't tellyou all about it, but then,
lastly, I spent about a month inNamibia, which is a country in
Africa it's right above SouthAfrica and that was a study
abroad I did through Texas A&Mwith a professor named Dr Jack
(18:35):
Elliott.
He is one of the mostphenomenal humans on the planet
and I'm actually super excitedbecause I have the opportunity
to possibly go back to Namibianext May as a teaching assistant
if I can recruit 15 Texas A&Mstudents to enroll in the
program, and that's my goalright now is to recruit enough
kids to go back that I also getto go.
(18:57):
But Namibia was truly amazing.
I had never been to Africa.
I did not know at all what toexpect.
I went into it kind of blind.
We had done our research, butit was just truly so much
different than what I'm used to.
So, like I said, europe hassome similarities to America.
(19:19):
Africa does as well, but it's amuch lesser, much less
similarities than there are toAmerica, than there are in
Europe.
And so, while we were there, itwas just amazing to see the slow
(19:41):
pace of life that they have,and it was just everything was
so much in Africa.
Yes, okay, okay.
It was just so slow, everyone.
There wasn't as much of a hurryand a bustle as you see here
and then one of the.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Can I ask you why?
Why do you think that it wasthat way?
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Go ahead.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Why do you think it was slow?
Speaker 3 (20:02):
I think partially is they are less developed than we
are and I think that that has todo with it.
A lot of the people.
It was also heartbreakingbecause the distribution of
wealth in Namibia is actuallyvery extreme and there is a very
high percentage of thepopulation living in extreme
poverty and you just seestudents just walking to school
(20:24):
and people outside sitting atbooths selling their craft booth
selling their craft, and itjust here.
There's just so much corporatework and hustle and bustle to
get to the next place and thenext appointment and there it's
just a simpler time.
And but the thing that was themost amazing about it all was
they all had smiles on theirface.
(20:45):
They weren't upset that theywere in that situation.
They weren't throwingthemselves a pity party or woe
is me but they were truly andgenuinely happy and they were
trying to make opportunities forourselves.
We went to this place calledPenduka and actually I have a
bag right here that I got fromPenduka and what Penduka is?
(21:08):
It is a group of women who theydon't have as many
opportunities to work in Namibia, and so it's a group of women
who came together, created thisplace called Penduka, and it's
where women can come to get asecond income for their families
by doing their crafts and thatmight look like hand embroidery,
(21:29):
like the bag I just showed you.
They also break up glassbottles and make their own beads
, and they're genuinely so happywhen they're doing it.
We got to meet with them andtalk with them and learn about
what they do, and it is one ofthe coolest things.
Their mission was just amazingto give those women just an
opportunity and a chance to havea job, and it was just crazy,
(21:50):
like the things that we take forgranted here are just so much
more apparent when you gosomewhere where their way of
life is so much different, andso Africa was really cool, and
getting to learn about that andjust really see the difference
in that slower pace of life thatI had never really witnessed
before was truly an amazingexperience, and all three trips
(22:12):
were awesome and I'm just gladthat I'm getting to travel.
I don't think there's a goodreason for me to say no to an
opportunity to go abroad rightnow, and things could be
different, so I need to takethis opportunity while I can and
jump on it and act on it.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Boy.
You just so much, oh mygoodness, boy, you just so much,
oh my goodness, so much youjust shared is so valuable.
I hope people are listeningintently to what you just shared
.
I love the fact that you're,you saw an opportunity and
you're making yourself available.
I love the fact that you talkedabout making sacrifices to get
(22:53):
to the goal.
You didn't have to do that, butit was important to you so
you're willing to, and I knowthe Roman noodle routine too, so
I know what you're talkingabout.
You know you made somesacrifices to get to the goal.
Your willingness to soak up theexperience, the awareness.
(23:13):
My son and I my oldest son and Iwe went and worked in an
orphanage in Chihuahua, mexico,and we know, I know exactly what
you're talking about.
You know it's just it's not asdeveloped the things you know.
I remember coming back and youknow we would tell all the kids
just throw your cell phone andradios and cameras on a table
and they're like, oh no, youknow we don't want them to get
taken.
So, trust me, just throw themon the table.
(23:34):
And they'd throw them on thetable because the kids that were
there, they just wanted to play, they just wanted somebody to
play with them.
They were orphans, they justwanted somebody to be with them.
And I remember on our way backI was asking them I said what
did you learn?
And they said just how much wehave.
And they don't.
And I said, but don't forget,they don't miss what they've
(23:56):
never had.
And so, to your point, thelittle things in their life just
make them grateful.
They're happy.
I support another ministrycalled Jacaranda Ministries,
very much like Penduka thatyou're describing, and it's some
doctors here in Wichita Fallsand they go over and provide
(24:18):
services to this little villageand over time they've seen their
health improve, they've seentheir education improve.
But the whole experience, whenyou're taking it all in the
whole experience, you learn justhow much agriculture affects
all these things.
When the doctors are there andthey, the kids, come up and they
(24:41):
ask them what's wrong with you,and they'll point to their head
and they'll point to their tailend and they'll say worms and
worms.
And little kids are telling youthe five parasites that live in
their gut.
And that's the reason thedoctors, you know one of the
first things they put in for iswormers and vitamins.
But that's not something that wewould think about.
(25:02):
We would think about, let'sjust send food.
Well, the challenge is you'resending food, but the parasites
are the ones winning the battle.
They don't have the samerefrigeration system we have.
They don't have access to cleanwater Just what you've shared
alone.
Even Europe, milan versusAfrica, and maybe even parts of
(25:25):
Mexico.
We see these distinction ofwhat the challenges in our world
really look like.
And they are.
They are big.
They are big challenges.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
Yes, sir, but I think to your point.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
There's opportunity because of that.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
Yes and I think that that was one of the biggest
conclusions I drew at the end ofmy travel is I want to do
something, that where I can beinvolved in these different
communities and I can do my partin helping them and helping
people back home.
And I don't know exactly whatthat looks like, but I do want
to get my toes in internationalwaters and really just learn
(26:07):
with them and grow with them andcontinue to develop my
perspective, and I think nowagain is one of the only times I
can do it.
That's why I'm looking to dosomething international as soon
as I graduate, because I thinkthis is the prime time where I
don't have a family to worryabout.
It's just me, and I'll miss mymom and dad and my grandparents
(26:29):
if I do it.
But I think this is the bestopportunity I'll have and you
got to act on it when you get anopportunity like this.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Well, I'm proud of you for doing it and I think
you're absolutely right, and Iappreciate the fact that you're
willing to share.
I'm also appreciative of thefact that you're willing to pour
this into other people, becausesomebody may be listening right
now in a classroom and theirmind is now saying, wow, maybe I
can do something like that,maybe I can travel and have
those experiences.
(26:57):
And, by the way, it won'tmatter where you go.
I mean, I've talked to peoplethat have been to Australia.
I've talked to people that havebeen to Australia.
I've talked to people that havebeen to Iceland, to New Zealand
, to Greenland, obviously,africa, south America you know
we've had state officers thathave gone there.
It's the fact that we get tosee beyond you know this fact.
(27:20):
We get to see beyond our block.
It's the fact that we get tosee beyond our city limits.
We get to see beyond our countyline, beyond our state line,
and then I've been in everystate in the country except for
Alaska.
It's a great experience to takein and see what cultures are
like, what food is like.
(27:41):
I remember asking one of myboard members he used to be the
head of All Flex Tags and he wasfrom New Zealand, I believe
originally Brian Bolton and Iasked Brian, I said you travel
abroad, you travel around theworld.
How is it different than here?
And what's interesting is whathe shared is exactly what you've
(28:05):
shared.
He said Aaron, it's not.
He said they're just like us,they want to provide for their
families.
They're just like us.
They laugh, they dance, theytell jokes, they have heartache.
And what he did just like whatyou just shared he's put it in
perspective that we're reallyall pretty much the same.
(28:28):
Sometimes we're just a littlemore grateful because we realize
it, and sometimes we just workharder because we're not aware
that we're not supposed to.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Yes, sir.
And you said that so beautifully, it's so cool and everywhere
I've traveled, one of myfavorite things is talking to
the locals and it's crazy howeasily you can connect with
those people that you just youmay assume they're different
than you, but we're all reallylike you said, we're so similar
and it's so easy to make thoseconnections and learn from them
(29:02):
and learn from their experiencesand get to share some of my own
experiences.
I remember I had oneconversation and was trying to
explain what FFA was at onepoint when I was in Africa and
trying to explain that that wascompletely foreign to them, when
here, I would say, a majorityof the general public.
They may not know exactly whatFFA is, but they have a general
(29:24):
understanding, maybe at leastwhat the letters stand for.
And so that was something thatstood out to people.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Well, no doubt that's a challenge.
Language barriers are alegitimate challenge.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
They are yes.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
I remember I had the opportunity to hear Hugh Grant
at the time, who was thepresident and CEO of Monsanto,
and he was traveling over inAfrica and they came up to this
village in a school and all thekids were out underneath the
tree and he said, oh, that'sgreat, you got the kids outside,
they're getting fresh air.
He said that's wonderful andthey said, no, mr Grant, you
(29:57):
don't understand this is an aridland and we can't hardly get
anything to grow.
But you guys invented a droughttolerant seed and now we've got
to harvest and the problem iswe've now harvested so much that
the only place we have left tostore it is the schoolhouse.
And he said we have a languagebarrier to the village down the
(30:20):
road and we can't communicate tothem that we have food.
There's a river over here thatprevents us from getting grain
across to this other village,and so when we think about the
opportunities in agriculture,they're huge.
They're the ability tocommunicate, they're the ability
(30:40):
to engineer, they're theability to use science to
produce food with limitedresources.
When I think about proteinproduction, you know it's real
easy in our country to thinkabout.
You know, I worked at BoysRanch.
I remember we used to harvest10 hogs and five beef a week.
When I went to Texas Tech, Icut meat.
(31:03):
That's my first job was I was ameat cutter.
But where you've been and whatyou've seen, they don't have
coal storage like we have.
They don't have the watercapacity to really clean a
carcass, maybe the way it needsto be cleaned.
So protein is going to become areal issue when we start
thinking about food sourcesaround the world and you know we
(31:25):
debate so many things in thiscountry.
I might have shared the storywith you when you were a state
officer, but I went to Area 3 toa large Houston area school and
spoke for a day and I rememberthe teacher told me she said
Aaron, I've got practice invegans and vegetarians.
And I said that's fine.
So I went the whole day andfinally this one young lady came
(31:46):
up to me at the end of the dayand she said Mr Alejandro, I'm a
practice in vegan.
What do you think about that?
And I said I think that's great.
And she said well, you don'tthink your way's better, don't
you have cattle?
And I said well, yeah, but whatpart of my presentation did you
(32:06):
not understand?
People are going to die todayfrom starvation.
I said you know, if you thinkwe can get there on a plant,
let's have that discussion.
If I think we can get therewith some animal protein, let's
have that discussion.
But why don't we feed peoplefirst and debate later?
Speaker 3 (32:21):
That's so true.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
And I think that's part of the challenges and I
appreciate again the fact thatyou've seen.
It allows you to provide atestimony that nobody can ever
say that didn't happen to you.
The fact that you'veexperienced, that you got your
hands there.
Nobody can ever say, Zoe,that's not what it's like over
there.
You get to say it is, and letme tell you about it because you
(32:43):
experienced.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Yes, I think one of the coolest things about that
and about what I've reallylearned is that I grew up in an
agricultural background and Inever thought I would come back
and be involved in anagricultural background.
That's just because I thought Ihad to be working on my dad's
farm or working with cattle inorder to be involved in
agriculture.
But I've learned and I knewthis before my travels, but it's
(33:07):
even further solidified justhow diverse the opportunities in
agriculture really are.
It's like I have this passionfor travel and international
experience and I have thispassion for agriculture and
there are so many different jobsthat I can pursue that
intertwine those perfectly.
And had you asked me thatbefore my time in the FFA, I
(33:28):
would have thought that you wereabsolutely crazy if you told me
that and I would have thoughtthere would never be a way that
I could intertwine internationalexperience and agriculture.
But there are two peas in a podand the opportunity is truly
endless because the whole worldneeds to eat.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
You have no idea how much I appreciate what you're
saying.
I've had kids, by the way,former FFA members that were
through our ambassador programthat applied for internships and
stuff, and I remember on morethan one occasion I've had them
come back and say I'd like to dothis internship, but I have
this opportunity to travelabroad.
And I remember telling themthen you're not working for me
(34:09):
and they would be a littleshocked that I would say that
and I'd say, listen, I love thefact that you want to come back
and serve, but if you've gotthat opportunity, I really need
you to go experience it.
I need you to go take it inbecause the value that you're
going to bring back from thatexperience is going to be far
greater than any experience thatI can give you through the
(34:31):
foundation, even though they'regreat experiences.
Don't take me wrong.
That is a very unique experienceand I'm just so glad that
you've had it.
And again, that's the reasonwhy I really wanted you on this
podcast is I wanted you to sharethat and you've done it, and
you've done it beautifully, bythe way.
You've been very articulate inthe way that you've shared it.
(34:51):
You've shared it with clarityand I'm hopeful that the
students and the teachers andthe guests that are listening
are really going to be able toassimilate the value of what
you've just shared, because it'sreally good.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
Thank you All right, so let's talk a little bit.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
You've already see, I was going to ask you about
opportunities in agriculture.
Well, you've covered that, solet's, and you've talked.
You talked a little bit aboutFFA, what it did for you, that
kind of lent itself.
I mean.
I would just be curious youknow, what skills did you learn
in FFA that you're learning,you're still using today and
(35:31):
that you applied when you werein a foreign country?
Speaker 3 (35:35):
Perfect.
Yes, so the FFA is a reallycool program.
We all know this.
It's a CTE program and itoffers you a ton of skills.
Really cool program, we allknow this, it's a CTE program
and it offers you a ton ofskills.
I wasn't somebody who reallylearned those hands-on
applicable skills like weldingor anything like that.
That wasn't my cup of tea.
For some students and for someFFA members, that is perfect.
That is awesome.
(35:56):
I wasn't into that kind ofthing, and so I think that's
part of the reason I was kind ofinitially deterred from the FFA
.
But little did I realize that Iactually learned a ton of
skills in the FFA that I may nothave initially recognized, that
have led me and shaped me intoexactly who I am today, and I
think really those are theleadership skills, the grit, the
(36:18):
humility that the FFA taught me, and so leadership's a big one.
I served as an officer indifferent capacities and that
really gives you an opportunityto learn how you yourself can be
the best leader and what itlooks like to be a good leader
and to put members first andothers first and to have that
selfless attitude.
Grit is probably the biggestthing I think the FFA taught me
(36:42):
I was always the bridesmaid,never the bride.
I got second at state and somany different things, and I
think it can be really easy tolet that discourage you and make
you want to give up, but it'staught me grit like no other and
that has meant the world to mein my college studies, in my
travels.
It took grit to eat ramen forthree months and to really stay
(37:03):
focused on that goal, and theonly reason I knew how to do
that was because I learned itthrough the FFA, because I would
set these goals in the FFA andI would have challenges, I would
have hurdles and things wouldcome up as roadblocks, but I
just continued to persevere andI had my ag teachers, I had my
family and I had my friends toencourage me and ultimately I
(37:24):
learned that you can't give upand sometimes, even if you give
100% effort, you may not win,and that's okay.
And I think that's where Ireally learned humility.
You don't have to be the best,because as long as you gave your
best and you know that, you canconfidently say that that's
really all that mattered.
And so I think those threethings are some of the skills
(37:45):
that have really helped me notonly in college but in pursuing
my dreams and other capacities,like travel, because they're
important and they're importantfor anything.
And I learned those threeskills not in my literature
classroom but in my ag classroomand it's something that I think
I will carry with me foreverand I am eternally grateful that
(38:06):
the FFA taught me that.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Wow, what else can I ask?
You're providing all thisincredible wisdom and you know I
can't wait to see where you endup, Um, and you know I can't
wait to see where you end up.
Um, the the want to, that youhave the willingness to think
outside of the box, thewillingness to bring that grit
(38:32):
to the table, the fact thatyou're a happy person, that
you're a grateful person.
You don't have a sense ofentitlement, you have a sense of
I want to go out and dosomething good, All of those
things.
I just cannot wait to see whereyou land, because I think we're
already very proud of you.
I know your mom and dad havegot to be, and your grandparents
(38:54):
.
I can't wait to see where youend up and the difference that
you're going to make.
You're already making it.
You and I have no idea.
Mike Rowe was on the podcast andMike Rowe and I were talking
and I like what he said one time.
He said you know they call usbroadcasters in the world of
(39:14):
multimedia, and he said that'san agricultural term, because
broadcasting is what they wouldfarmers would do with seeds, and
so when I thought about thepodcast and growing our future,
that's what we're doing.
We're broadcasting yourincredible insights, we're
(39:35):
broadcasting this hope ofopportunity, we're broadcasting
the blessing of what we have inthis country, and so thank you
so much for all that you'veshared.
It is incredible.
Speaker 3 (39:47):
Oh, thank you.
That means a lot.
I can remember being youngerand looking up to different
people state officers and theFFA and thinking I could never
do the things that they're doing, and I want anybody who's
listening, who might be youngerthan me yes, you can.
Don't let anybody tell you youcan't.
(40:09):
It's all up to you, it's all upto your mindset and, like I
said earlier, just having thatgrit to keep trying.
If you fall down, get up again.
No goal is too big, and if youdon't reach your goal exactly
how you planned for it, it meansGod had a greater plan and to
set another goal and to keep ongetting up and trying.
And so that's the only reasonI'm here where I'm at today is
because I've had people whosupported me and I dreamed big
and chased them as hard as Icould.
Speaker 2 (40:29):
So Well, we're going to end on that, because that is
really good.
So, but you do get one last funquestion.
All of my guests get one lastfun question.
I'm just curious Zoe Nolan,what is the best concert you've
ever been to?
Speaker 3 (40:45):
Oh, oh, that's hard, because I just went to really
two good ones this summer andit's like a tie.
I went to a Zach Bryan concertlast week actually, and it was
phenomenal.
I've been a Zach Bryan fan foryears, before he even blew up.
I've been a Zach Bryan fan.
But then the one that ties withit is, I went to a Noah Kahn
concert um, kind of like countryindie I don't know how to
(41:09):
classify him, but I'm a huge fanof his music and I went to one
at the beginning of the summerand it was like outdoors and an
amphitheater and just the vibeswere immaculate.
Sorry, sorry, that was so Gen Zof me, but and it was great, I
loved it.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
I got to tell you, asking that question to the
people that I've had on here.
The scope is unbelievable fromyou know, sinatra, michael Bublé
, sarah Bareilles, all the wayto King George, to Metallica and
Pitbull.
So I love it.
I love it, zoe.
(41:48):
Thank you so much for sharingsome of your time with us today.
Really appreciate it To all ofour listeners.
Thank you again for stopping bythe Growing Our Future podcast.
I don't know about the folksthat are going to watch this.
If you're a young person, Ihope you're looking up to Zoe
and you're saying, wow, maybe Ican do that.
(42:10):
Look, she told me that I coulddo it.
And maybe, if you're somebodylike me that's got a few gray
hairs, you listen to this younglady and you're that much more
hopeful for our future that thisis the person that's going to
become the role model for mygranddaughter and my grandson
and my youngest.
I mean, this is why I do my job, because I get to work with
(42:34):
people like this and this is howwe grow the future right here.
This is how we grow the future.
We share incredible ideas in acountry full of incredible
opportunities and we have asupport system that will get us
to that door.
It can't get us through the door.
We got to take advantage.
Zoe said you've got to be theone to push through, but we're
(42:59):
going to do everything we can toget you there.
So thanks for stopping by theGrowing Our Future podcast,
remember.
If you want to know what thefuture is, grow it.
Listen to everything Zoe saidtoday.
Plant those seeds of greatnessand grow an incredible future.
And oh, by the way, until wemeet again, go do something
great for somebody else.
Trust me, you're going to feelgreat about it and the world's
(43:21):
going to be better because youdid.
Speaker 1 (43:32):
Thank you all for joining us.
We hope you've enjoyed thisepisode of the Growing Our
Future podcast.
This show is sponsored by theTexas FFA Foundation, whose
mission is to strengthenagricultural science education
so students can develop theirpotential for personal.
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