Following the path -
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Published on: 1/9/2002
Last Visited: 1/9/2002
STATE TREASURER - Grant Groene, a 2001 graduate of Winfield High School, is serving as treasurer of the state FFA organization.He is the first FFA member from Winfield to hold a state office in about 30 years. (Special to the Courier)
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Four years ago, Grant Groene was inspired by state FFA officers.Now it is his turn to inspire.
Groene, a 2001 graduate of Winfield High School and a freshman at Kansas State University, is currently serving as the state FFA treasurer.
It took a lot of hard work and dedication to the FFA organization to get to that point, but serving as a state officer had been a longtime goal of his.
Like many high school freshmen, Groene was interested in activities such as FFA but wasn't sure exactly what he would get out of it.
"I knew FFA was something I wanted to do," Groene said, noting that his main reasons for joining were his agriculture background and having family members who were former FFA members.
But he quickly found it to be an enjoyable activity where he could do a lot of learning and growing.One of the biggest learning experiences occurred when he was a freshman and heard the outgoing state officers give their retiring addresses.He remembers that many of those addresses were very motivating, particularly the one by Cory Epler, who is now one of the FFA advisors at Arkansas City High School.Since that day, Groene realized he might one day want to be one of those people giving an address.
Each year, Groene kept coming back, and each year, he thought a little more about running for state office.
Toward the end of his senior year at WHS, where he served as chapter president and district treasurer, he ran for state treasurer and was elected.It was the first time in nearly 30 years that a Winfield FFA member had held a state office.
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Since taking over the office and enrolling as an agriculture education major at K-State, Groene has juggled the books with his FFA duties.A large part of the job is making public appearances at events such as fairs and livestock shows, as well as various FFA functions across the state and beyond.
While the spring semester has not yet started at K-State, Groene expects it to be an even busier time.In addition to his classroom work, he will be traveling even more extensively throughout Kansas to speak at various seminars and chapter banquets.
While it can be hectic and time consuming, it's been well worth the effort, Groene said.
"It puts a lot of miles on the old car, but it's cool," Groene said.
While he has helped teach lessons to FFA members across the state, he has also learned from them.
"It's definitely been something worthwhile," Groene said.
He knows he will be able to continue using much of what he has learned later in life.
"It can open doors for internships and could really help me out as I move on down the road," Groene said."A lot of famous leaders have been involved in FFA and have been state officers.Sam Brownback was a state president and a national vice president, and he has, of course, gone on to be a U.S. senator.He's just one example."
But he also added that a person should not run for a state office just to make a name for himself.He should want to help others just as much or more than he wants to help himself, Groene said.
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Groene said once his term as a state officer ends, he could run for national office.He knows competition can be extremely tough, but he hasn't ruled out the possibility.
Even if he doesn't, there are many other ways for Groene to keep involved in the agriculture community at K-State.In addition to his FFA duties, he is a member of the Ag Education Club and Ag Reps, both organizations within the university's College of Agriculture.He said he would also like to pursue a spot on the college's livestock judging team.
But Groene is focusing more on the present, wanting to make the remainder of his state term worthwhile.
"I've got a lot of things from FFA that have laid the path for me to follow," he said."As a state officer, I continue to go down that path, and hopefully I'll be leaving a path for others after I'm finished."
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