MADAME PRESIDENT

It seems almost a given that Maddie Cole is going to be successful in life.

Cole, 17, will be a senior at Mariposa County High School this year.

And she has a lot going on.

Just recently, she was elected the president of the FFA Merced-Mariposa Section, a regional group of chapters of the state and national organizations.

She had applied to be a regional officer, but that didn’t work out, so Cole tossed her hat into the ring for the sectional post.

It is not an easy task to run for the office as she first had to do interviews with senior officers. Then, she had two weeks to run a campaign, complete with signs, social media work and much more.

There were 12 people who took the stage in front of many members from the section. A speech and questions were part of the format. And then the voting, in which Cole came out on top and has been serving as president since March.

In addition, Mariposa FFA member Chole King was elected section reporter.

The chapter covers a wide region, including La Grand, Mariposa and all of Merced and Atwater. In total, around nine schools.

Her duties are varied and include “getting our section ready and getting engaged in FFA,” she said.

She obviously has to run the meetings, which take place all around the region. Cole said the other schools generally offer to host the meetings, which are well attended, with each school bringing some 15 or more members.

This is coming off of a state title in the Marketing Plan group at Mariposa, which showcases the impact of FFA on students.

The marketing plan event equips students with practical marketing skills by guiding them to create and present a marketing plan for an agricultural product, supply, or service. To win the state title was a huge deal, said Cole.

What to do?

For Cole, she was never involved with 4-H, which is a path many in FFA take.

But in eighth grade, she became Associated Student Body president and was encouraged to consider FFA the following year at MCHS.

In fact, one of the teachers said she “better see you next year in FFA.”

At the time, Cole, like so many other people, thought FFA was more about animals, showing at the fair and related activities. Animals, she said, were not her strong suit.

But she joined an Ag Biology class and, as a freshman, won the top award.

It seems her FFA fate was sealed.

Since that time, she has excelled in FFA, as well as in the classroom, where she has held at 4.0 or above grade-point-average her entire time at MCHS. She’s also participated in cheer, including the Merced All-Star Cheer team.

That first FFA award launched her head first into FFA and she hasn’t looked back. As the chapter reporter last year, she worked hard to get the word out in as many forms as possible, from this newspaper to KRYZ Radio to social media and much more.

But there was also the confidence portion of FFA, something she said has given her many abilities. For one, her interviewing skills have improved greatly, she said.

It’s come so far, Cole said she has signed up for a welding class for her senior year, which starts on Aug. 17.

“It’s a little scary,” she said, adding she gets “frustrated” when Legos don’t fit right so it’s a big unknown what learning welding will bring.

Another huge improvement in Cole’s life is her public speaking abilities. She has learned how to talk to a wide range of people, including her peers, which she said is the most challenging.

Statewide goals

Cole has become so involved with FFA that she is going to be running for a statewide office. California ranks only behind Texas with the largest number of members in FFA.

In other words, it’s serious business.

So much so, should Cole get a statewide office, it would mean she would have to have a “gap year” before going to college.

The statewide office quest will begin in earnest in January, she said. There will be 75 students from across California seeking 12 offices .

An entire week is dedicated to interviews with the selection committee, she said. And then it ends with the decision.

Her goal is to become the statewide reporter for California FFA, though it remains up to the judges who is selected, including the office chosen.

Either way, Cole said her long-term goal is to attend either Cal-Poly or Oklahoma State University with a focus on agriculture communications.

That communications component has been key for Cole in her development as an FFA leader.

As she said, “my generation” communicates regularly through social media channels. Recently, she traveled to El Dorado and, by chance, ran into someone she had met through social media.

But Cole also understands the value of all media, including print, radio and more.

She said “every generation” may have a different way of obtaining information, but “everyone deserves to learn about FFA” no matter the means.

In her DNA

Though Cole was not sure about FFA, she probably had a good idea of her destiny given her lineage.

Her mother and grandmother were both in the program and she called them both “huge show kids.”

Even Cole has taken the plunge and will be showing two goats at the upcoming fair.

It’s led to some interesting situations.

“My mom and dad never had a pregnant goat,” she said.

But she had one and they all had to figure out how it all works.

All of this is happening as Cole prepares for her senior year at MCHS.

She’s been a class officer all four years and this year will serve as the vice president of the senior class. That means she’ll be organizing events, including on the first day of school.

It’s a lot and Cole said FFA has been instrumental in shaping her life, her life skills and more.

“It’s an organization that has kept me going throughout high school,” she said. “I has become a family to me.”

That has included a lot of travel, including to Indianapolis, Oklahoma and Kansas. She’s also traveled extensively around California, from Chico to LA, acknowledging it’s a big state. She also understands that many people around the country think California is nothing but LA or San Francisco.

Cole reminds them there is a lot more, including rural areas like Mariposa and many more where people can get a quality education and go on to do great things in life.

One of her mentors is now working for a major agriculture company, showing her that “even kids from Mariposa” can go a long way in life.

She said her advisors in FFA have made a lot of that happen.

“Our advisors do a lot for us,” she said. “I see the success.”

And that success is almost certain to carry on through Cole’s future.