Throughout life, there can be things that become a part of our life that we necessarily
would not have chosen to do. Ava Thompson is a sophomore at the Vanguard Academy,
which is a part of Broken Arrow High School. She says that for her, the Future Farmers of America program would be that thing for her.

“As I joined Vanguard Academy, Ag was a mandatory elective for all incoming freshmen,” she
said. “The more I got involved in events and meets, I realized how much I love the program, and when I got the chance to either stay in FFA or leave, the answer was clear, as I now had a family surrounding me that urged me to be the best person I can be, giving me new opportunity every day.”

Thompson currently serves as vice president of the Broken Arrow FFA chapter. She enjoys many of the aspects that come along with that role.

“I love to help plan and coordinate meetings for the chapter, as well as give my input on thoughts and ideas that come my way,” she stated.

“I also record and edit the end-of-year banquet video for all my peers to watch our
valued memories as we see how we have grown. As far as competing goes, I love to join in on cattle grading and speech competitions.”

During her time in the program, Ava has made a lot of great memories. While she has a tough time picking one favorite, she has a few that stand out to her.

“It’s hard to put a title on my favorite memory, as I have so many I can not count,” she stated. “Like the late-night trips after speech competitions to Braums, when a big boy in the chapter downs six scoops of ice cream with no problem.

Also, the early mornings going to CDE’s when cowpoke comes on and everyone half awake
hums along to the song. Or the evenings when someone accidentally drains their transmission fluid instead of the oil. No matter what, the most cherished memories in my life will come from my time in FFA.”