OFI 1453: Learn To Defend Your Own Opinion | Carter Ollendick | Tomah High School FFA

When I conducted my interview with Carter Ollendick it was right before he and his parliamentary procedure team departed for a competition. Naturally, I asked him about his participation in both the Conduct Of Meetings team as well as the Parli team during the interview, and he had something interesting to say. He told me that he would recommend participation in these teams to incoming FFA students because they teach you to give your own opinion and argument in a given situation, and they force you to learn to how stick to what you believe and back that up. This is just one more of the many life and career skills that students learn in the FFA.

Carter comes from a rich tradition of FFA participation in his family, and even though he just finished his 9th grade year of school, he already had four years of experience because he was able to begin in the 6th Grade. It is always interesting interview students who were able to begin in middle school, because they are ahead of the game when they get to high school.

Carter has been showing livestock for many years now, starting in the 4H and continuing into the FFA in middle school. At this point he has a lot of experience showing cattle, pigs and sheep. So, last year his parents suggested that he try something new. He agreed, and he grew a pumpkin patch. Then he set up two roadside stands and sold his pumpkins on the honor system. He reports that it went very well.