By Kristine Thomas
Silverton High School senior Meghan Stadeli understands how an encouraging word, an invite to participate in a school activity or just a hello can make a difference in someone’s life.
As she begins her adventure as a officer for state FFA executive committee, this is something she will remember. Something she will do to pay it forward. Because she realizes there may be someone just like her who needs a little encouragement and a kind word to help her discover her path.
As a freshman, Stadeli said she was having a challenging time finding her niche. She tried drama and speech but those didn’t fit. She says she can’t sing, so choir was not an option.
For some reason she was put in an occupational survey class, she said, adding she hadn’t signed-up for the class. The thought of joining FFA was not on her radar because she didn’t live on a farm.
“I also thought the FFA outfits were a little goofy,” she recalled.
Then her teachers Scott Towery and Johnie Ferro invited her to attend a state FFA leadership conference that September.
“I only went because I thought I would get extra credit for the class,” Stadeli said. “I had a negative outlook and I didn’t want to be there.”
She remembers she was sitting by herself when then Oregon FFA President and Kennedy High graduate Alex Morrissey asked her to join his group.
“What Alex taught me is even though he didn’t know me or where I went to school, he saw I wasn’t having a great time. He made a point to include me,” Stadeli said. “His caring nature and his saying hello had a positive impact on my life.”
That one invite changed her path in high school and allowed her to discover where she belonged.
“I think I would have been a floater in high school if I hadn’t had that experience,” Stadeli said. “Being part of FFA gave me a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose. If I hadn’t joined FFA I wouldn’t have been as successful in high school.”
There are many reasons she wound up joining FFA, but she said what appealed to her the most was her fellow members have the same morals and ethics.
“They value hard work and dedication,” she said. “FFA is about learning to be a leader.”
At the state FFA conference in March, Stadeli was elected as the state’s sentinel. She joins five other seniors from across the state on the leadership team. More than 30 students ran for the six state offices. At the conference Stadeli also took first place in advanced prepared public speaking and will compete at the national FFA convention in the fall.
Towery said Stadeli has many strong attributes, but one that stands out is her ability to connect with students and adults.
“I think there are still a lot of hidden talents in Meghan that she doesn’t show up front,” Towery said. “She’s intelligent and she has the intuition to make really good decisions and follow through. She’s a strong advocate for FFA and will be able to get other kids to participate.”
Describing herself as a competitive person, Stadeli said each success she had in FFA has helped her along the way. Her sophomore and junior years she placed second in agriculture sales. She is the vice president of her high school’s chapter and treasurer for the district chapter.
“By having success in FFA, I got hooked when I was a freshman. I have learned so much,” she said. “People think FFA is just for kids who live on a farm. I have learned FFA is more about leadership.”
Being part of the state’s leadership team will mean postponing going to college in the fall, Stadeli said, adding she has been accepted to the University of Portland. She had been planning to study nursing. Taking a year to travel throughout the state to visit high school FFA chapters and agricultural businesses and industries, Stadeli said she’s curious to see where she is a year from now. She has been thinking about studying business.
“I don’t know how this next year will play out,” Stadeli said. “I definitely will have some reconsidering to do.”
Laughing, Stadeli said her parents, Dan and Jennifer Stadeli, were thinking there would be one less daughter at home in the fall. With Meghan’s election to the state office, there will be five students added to their home.
Because their home is closest to the state’s FFA office in Corvallis, the state officers will be using the Stadeli home as their home base, she said, adding they put three beds downstairs for the boys and two upstairs for the girls.
Other members of the state executive team are President Ian Oppenlander of Madras, Vice President Brecklin Milton of Ontario, Secretary Kylee Fisher of Burns, Treasurer Mitchell Adams of Culverand Reporter Collin Matthias of Canby.
Ironically, Stadeli shared, one of her biggest failures turned out to be what helped her achieve her goals of being elected to a state FFA office and to win the state speech contest. Starting her junior year, she had a 3.93 grade point average. As a freshman and a sophomore, she said, she didn’t have to study to earn good grades.
Then she took chemistry and earned a D. While earning the D was a “disappointment,” she said, it also taught her she need to prepare for tests, speeches and everything else in life. “I think I wouldn’t have done well this year in FFA if I hadn’t earned that D,” she said. “It taught me I need to prepare for things.” She will graduate with a 3.47 grade point average.
She has also learned to approach whatever comes her way with a positive attitude. “When I ran for office, I didn’t know if I was going to be elected,” she said. “I have learned to just try and be happy with whatever the outcome is.”
Between now and graduation, Stadeli has a long “to do” list including going hunting with her dad, preparing for the Silverton’s FFA activities including Food For America Day and training for her state office.
“I am really blessed to have this amazing opportunity and want to serve the FFA to the best of my ability,” she said.
