Agriculture + Lifestyle

Meet Thomas Maddox, FFA Central Region State Vice President

Posted on April 23, 2019 8:00 PM

What is the biggest challenge you face as a state officer and how do you overcome it?

By Thomas Maddox, FFA Central Region State Vice President

The biggest challenge I face as a state officer is managing my time wisely. As a state officer we are very productive every single day. When you add school to the mix it makes things a little bit more interesting.

When I did my SAE in high school I had to be able to find time to do what I was interested in agriculture and still do the other extracurricular activities I enjoyed. When you're serving 42,000 Georgia FFA Members who all share the same passion as you do it adds a lot of pressure, but brings a lot of relief. I preach a lot on how if you manage your time wisely then you will always get the results that you expect to occur.

Growing up I wasn’t the most organized person on this planet. At one point in our lives we all have that thought. When I first joined my first agriculture class in 6th grade with Mrs. Ashley Denton, she taught me that love sure does pass by really quickly and that you need to make the most of it. Shortly after that she introduced me to my new best friend that has been with me through it all for the past 8 years, my blue corduroy jacket.

I am able to overcome this challenge by remembering the first time I put on the blue corduroy jacket and the fire it lit inside of me, not knowing of what my passion for agriculture would be for the years to come. The powers of this blue corduroy jacket truly make you feel like you can accomplish anything. When I see my sister and the journey her FFA jacket took her on, it motivated me that I’m not going to let something interfere from me reaching my goals. When I was thrown the work load of school and adding it to my service of Georgia FFA, it was quite a challenge, but it wasn’t going to affect me from getting the job and the dedication I made to this amazing organization. I did honestly think to myself, “How can I accomplish this?”, but I know once you put your dream into action anything is possible.

Just think of positive things that you and your blue corduroy jacket share and apply it to everyday life. I believe in the future of agriculture because I can breakthrough any challenge that is thrown at me, even the toughest ones. “JUST ONE” moment can change everything and stir you into the right direction for what your future has to hold for you.