2026 FFA Willow Springs High School
A Word from the Chapter President
Hello, my name is Katy Spence, and I am the current President of the Willow Springs FFA Chapter. Over the past three years, FFA has made a tremendous impact in my life. During my Greenhand year, I felt completely out of place. However, as time progressed, I found myself looking forward to my agriculture class every single day.
When contest season came around in the spring, Mr. Talburt somehow persuaded me to compete in the Creed Speaking contest. I was terrified. I was not a public speaker, and I had no idea what I was doing. However, with the help of my amazing advisors, I made it all the way to the state level and even had the opportunity to walk across the stage to receive my sixth-place plaque. During contest season my freshman year, I felt my shell finally begin to dissolve. FFA became less of a class and more of a family.
The following year, I was honored to gain an officer position as the secretary of our chapter. I learned so many skills that will benefit me for the rest of my life such as working with others, becoming a leader others can look up to, and planning events that bring the entire chapter together and strengthen the bonds of our FFA family. Now, serving as chapter president, I am amazed every day by the different talents and skills each member brings to our chapter.
Agricultural education is not just cows, plows, and sows. It is leadership, science, plants, animals, technology, conservation, and so much more. If a member has a passion, we can find a place for them in FFA, and that is the beauty of this organization. My FFA advisors, Mr. Shiloh Walden and Mr.
Grant Talburt, are some of the best teachers I have ever had. They consistently push every student to achieve their greatest potential while providing a safe place they can call home. Without strong leadership, we would not have a strong FFA program, and having Mr. Walden and Mr. Talburt as our mentors has been a tremendous blessing to our chapter.
Over the course of my three years in FFA, I have truly seen the impact that an engaging, safe, and challenging extracurricular club can have not only in my life, but in the lives of my peers. Without FFA, I would not have had the opportunities, lessons, and personal growth that I am so proud of today.