By Allison Aguiar, Winters FFA Alumna
For many of us, when looking towards our future, we wonder how our weekends spent at field days or nights spent in the barn will impact the opportunities we have and the people we will become. Graduating from the Winters High School in 2025, I can say without a doubt that FFA has greatly influenced the person I am today and the opportunities I’ve had since high school.
As a child who loved any sort of stage and audience, I quickly found my passion in public speaking and leadership.
Despite a busy schedule filled with sports, my weekends and other limited free time quickly became overtaken by various Career and Leadership Development Events. These events not only took me all over the state (where my California geography knowledge drastically improved), but also across the nation to compete at the national level. These experiences allowed me to hone the soft skills of public speaking, teamwork, and leadership.
This summer, I’m excited to put those skills to work as an intern with Cogent Consulting and Communications. I’ll be writing articles, preparing radio reports, and supporting communications for ag-based organizations. This role allows me to expand my knowledge of California’s diverse agriculture and see the behind-the-scenes work that keeps the public informed.
As I begin this internship, I am excited to expand my grasp of the agricultural industry. Growing up on a ranch, my knowledge was very limited to the crops grown by my family. While I have expanded upon that knowledge over the last four years, with California agriculture being so diverse, there is always more to learn. My top goal during this internship is simple: to listen. Many of the meetings and events I will attend will be led by individuals who have worked in their industry for decades. By actively listening and learning from them, I can strengthen both my current work and my future in this industry.
I would not have this internship had it not been for FFA. Competing in extemporaneous public speaking—and having the right person in the room at the right time—is what helped me land this opportunity. While FFA provided the foundation and skills I need for this internship, it also opened the door to the opportunity itself. This illustrates the agriculture industry’s deep reliance on personal connections, many of which begin to form in FFA.
Because of my experience in FFA and other life passions, my eventual goal is to pursue a career in agricultural policy. This internship, while not directly policy-related, will allow me to work with organizations that engage in education and advocacy — similar to the kind of work I hope to do in my future career. It will give me the chance to see how these organizations work, develop connections with key players in the industry, and gain insight into whether this is something I actually hope to pursue.
FFA sets its members up for success. From competitions that build agricultural knowledge, to officer positions that provide leadership experience, students, including myself, are able to develop key skills for the workforce. It’s vital for students to make use of the connections they build through this organization—not only to support the ag industry but also to apply the skills they gained in FFA. This doesn’t have to happen through an internship like mine; advocating for agricultural issues, serving the community, or working in an ag job are all ways alumni can put those skills to use. The summer before college offers a unique chance to apply what you’ve learned and begin the transition into the next stage of life.
Author Bio
Allison Aguiar is a 2025 graduate from Winters High School and an alumna of Winters FFA. She served as the Central Region FFA President, as well as holding various officer positions at the chapter level. This summer, she is interning with Cogent Consulting and Communications, and this fall, she will be attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo majoring in Agricultural Communications, with hopes to minor in a policy-related concentration.
