In her mom’s footsteps

Hailey Chambers comes from an FFA family.

“I first got involved in the FFA when I was in (eighth) grade,” Chambers said. “My parents and even my grandpa had been in the FFA, so I knew it was something I wanted to try out.”

She explained her mother encouraged her to try out some of the same contests she had tried when she was a member.

“So, I started out with creed speaking and ended up placing first at the Region VII contest in 2021, advancing to the 2022 state contests,” Chambers said. “My ag teachers also pushed me to be involved and try different activities at and above the chapter level, including the region and state nominating committee in 2022.”

Now, she’ll serve as FFA state treasurer for the next year.

“State office has been a dream of mine since I served on the State Nominating Committee in 2022,” Chambers said. “My mom had served as State Secretary when she was an FFA member and had told me about the amazing experiences she had. Within the past year, I began to prepare for this position, knowing the interview process would be difficult with the large pool of highly qualified candidates. I am super excited to serve, empower, and represent the members of the Minnesota FFA Association.”

Chambers said her favorite part about FFA is the other members.

“Meeting, networking, and building friendships with individuals who have similar interests and values to mine is super cool,” Chambers said. “There are over one million FFA members throughout the nation, and being a part of a community so big, yet so tight knit, is super cool.”

When she thinks of her favorite experiences, Chambers said the first experience that comes to mind is the Washington Leadership Conference.

“This is a national leadership conference that is put on by the National FFA throughout the summer, held in Washington, D.C. I was given the opportunity to attend with other members from Minnesota and network with students across the nation,” Chambers said. “We also visited different monuments in our nation’s capital, which was super cool. I would go back again in a heartbeat.”

Overall, Chambers said she is grateful to be able to serve.

“I look forward to building my leadership while helping to grow the future leaders of the agricultural industry,” she said. “I know the memories my team and I will create this year will be amazing, and I am so excited.”