FFA Member of the Week: A Sophomore Star!

Name: Renee Hebig

Chapter: Upsala FFA

Favorite Color: Green

Fun Fact: Renee milks dairy goats!

Renee got her start in the Upsala FFA chapter right away in the seventh grade, after her advisor, Mrs. Schleper, asked Renee if she wanted to try creed speaking. Renee gave it a try and has stuck with FFA ever since then. Her drawing factor to FFA was a family tie from her brother, who was also in FFA. She was also lured in by all of the people she has met and how much fun chapter members had attending different FFA events.

As an Upsala member, Renee has been involved in several different Career Development Events such as dairy cattle evaluation, creed speaking, prepared public speaking, horse judging, and novice parliamentary procedure. Very fitting to all of the CDEs that Renee has been involved in, she also has the duty of being Upsala’s “CDE Coordinator.” In this position, she recruits members and students from her school onto different CDEs in which they would do well. One of her ultimate goals as the coordinator is to have enough teams qualify to take a bus to state convention. Renee has been a chapter officer for two years and even as a young member, has attended both SGLC and SLCCL leadership conferences. She has also already been to state convention for three different trips!

As a result of all these activities, Renee has had a unique experience. She loves meeting new people, and being a part of an agricultural organization where she continues to learn. FFA has helped Renee, just like past members of the week, gain those vital skills of public speaking. As a leader in her chapter, Renee has been able to guide and teach the Upsala FFA members the things that she has learned. Renee didn’t realize it until she was in FFA, but she discovered that a lot of people had a passion for agriculture just like she did.

But Renee doesn’t just say, Renee does. She has been a part of numerous media interviews that have informed the community about what Upsala FFA is up to. During FFA week, Renee and her chapter participate in activities with students in the school in order to advocate and advertise for their FFA chapter. Upsala’s chapter even has a petting zoo, where they bring in animals and inform children about the children and answer any questions they might have about the animals.

Even though Renee is just a sophomore and has time to change her mind about the future, she plans to attend Central Lakes College in Staples or Brainerd for a degree in Farm Business Management. When she is finished with college, she wants to return home to help her dad run the dairy goat operation. Renee plans on having 250 milking dairy goats and own enough cropland so that they won’t have to buy their own hay or feed. 

Renee received a silver rating as an individual in dairy cattle evaluation during state convention in April, and her novice parliamentary procedure team received 8th place! Today (May 29th, 2013), Renee is actually hoping to become elected as the 2013-2014 Upsala FFA President or Vice President. Good luck to Renee in her future endeavors and congratulations on being selected as FFA member of the week.