State Officer Farewell
“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” -Mark Twain. Kindness, like Mr. Twain said is something everyone can recognize and really appreciate. That is what has kept me going throughout my FCCLA experience. Many people have been here for me and have had my back when times get rough and begin crumble. Telling me to stay strong and to not let the things I can't do get in the way of what I can do. Doing so much to help me be everything I can be and more, these people have played major roles of what I have now become. There are so many words I want to say to them but the only word that seems to mean the most and fits best, is thank you.
It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's Mrs. Jacobson! Without my FCCLA advisor I definitely wouldn't be where I am today. She has taught me how to become an amazing leader and to never give up even if it's not going as planned. She has been there for me since day one, my eighth grade year. She showed me how to plan a project using the Planning Process and how to carry it out and make it a complete success. Then as I got older she showed me more and more ways of making a bigger impact not only on the community, but also on myself. I have gained so much knowledge and skills that I will undoubtedly use the rest of my life. Credentials such as: learning how to work with unruly individuals, taking on new experiences, making the best of a situation no matter how rocky it may get, and going into everything with an open mind because no matter how hard you work, nothing is going to go as planned. I wouldn't be a member of the State Executive Council if it weren't for her. She has made a lot of my dreams become reality and I am so thankful for that. Thank you Mrs. J, for everything you do for me, it means more than you can even imagine.
Mom and Dad to the rescue! Throughout my whole life, my parents have been there encouraging me in everything I do. I can remember wanting to be a princess and I told my Mom and Dad what I wanted to be. All they said to me was, you can be whatever you want to be as long as you put your mind to it. Unfortunately, I'm not a princess, but I am more than that. I am leading others to do what is right and what can help make people around you happy. I am not only an officer in a red blazer, but a leader. A leader who wouldn't have been able to achieve this without the advice her parents had given her when she was young. Without their love, compassion, and faith, there is no way I could be who I am today. No matter how rocky life may get I know they will be there to back me up when I need them most, they haven't failed me yet. Thank you for making me pushing myself to my very best abilities and not giving up. It means the world to me. I love you Mom and Dad
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Don't fret, here comes Mr. Schmidt! Oh, Mr. Schmidt. From our first meeting at the 2008 State Leadership Conference, I could tell our journey would be a great one. You have taught me how to take even more charge and lead more than just a chapter. I was now one of the five leaders for Michigan FCCLA. Then, at the CTSO Meeting we finally got started and you showed us what it was going to take to be a State Executive Council Member. We learned our responsibilities and what our jobs were. But most of all, I figured out that no matter what he had my back and always wanted me to do my best. He encourages me and picks me up when I'm down. If things didn't go as planned he always knew what to do and how to help me. I have learned so much from Mr. Schmidt and have had many, many memories with him that I will definitely never forget. Thank you Mr. Schmidt for letting me have all these amazing experiences and helping me fulfill my dream of being a state officer.
BAM! The members come in with a boom. Without the members, nothing in FCCLA would be possible. You are the ones who keep the wheels turning and are making the environment around you a better place. You all are the only reason I am on the State Executive Council. Without you I would have no reason to be where I am. All that you do may not seem like a lot but really, it's more than just a little something, it's a huge step to helping Michigan and beyond. So, in the great words of Journey: “Don't stop believing,” because anything is possible.