ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - For the next year, Elk Grove FFA alumna Abigale Jacobsen will represent the Western United States as a national FFA officer.

Jacobsen was elected at the FFA national convention in October to serve a year as western region vice-president, along with a team of five other officers from across the country.

Jacobsen, a former member of Elk Grove FFA, spoke to the Citizen about what she wants to accomplish during her term.

The officers were elected by national FFA delegates from a pool of 37 candidates. The hopefuls also participated in an extensive interview process.

In an interview, Jacobsen said she was “in shock” when she was named a national officer but her thoughts remained with the community that made her who she is.

“The joke on my team is that I ran up the stage super, super fast. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to run that fast again but I just couldn’t believe it. It was a total adrenaline rush,” Jacobsen said. “And, one, I was excited to hear my name called but all I could really think about was all the people who had spent countless hours and energy pouring into me and building me into all that I am.”

Having graduated from Elk Grove High School in 2022, Jacobsen is studying pre-veterinary medicine at California State University, Chico. She previously served for a year as California state FFA president. When the Citizen spoke to Jacobsen, she was packing up in preparation to leave Chico for the FFA national headquarters in Indianapolis; she will put her college career on hold for a year to carry out her national officer duties.

“At the end of the day, to me the decision came down to, ‘How am I going to be able to live out my life’s purpose and give back to the people and community that have done so much for me?’” Jacobsen said.

Jacobsen said that the position will allow her to connect with students and elevate their voices in agriculture.

She said the officer team would start their service with training followed by an international trip to “connect with other segments of the agriculture industry outside the United States.”

The officers give motivational speeches and lead workshops, as well as representing students at meetings of the FFA board of directors. Jacobsen said all of this keeps in mind the organization’s mission of developing students’ potential for career success and personal growth.

Asked what personal experiences inform her approach to the officer role, Jacobsen said the Elk Grove FFA chapter gave her a chance to experience multiple facets of the ag industry, even though she didn’t have a “traditional or strong tie to agriculture” before joining.

“That’s the story for a lot of students,” Jacobsen said. “Not many people within FFA have always grown up from a traditional ag background but we still have opportunities to explore what agriculture and our future in agriculture can look like for us. And for me, it’s led me to pursue a career as a large-animal veterinarian. … When we’re looking at growing the next generation of leaders, not everyone’s going to come from the same background.”

Jacobsen credited her teachers and teammates at Elk Grove FFA for helping her grow as a person.

“I started out high school as that scared, reserved freshman at the back of the class who seldom raised my hand but fortunately, I had ag educators, like Ms. Sierra Meyers and Mr. Mike Albiani, who saw something in me that I didn’t quite see in myself at the time and pushed me to become involved with FFA activities.”

Albiani spoke to the Citizen about Jacobsen’s drive and the impact of her election for Elk Grove FFA. 

“It takes a special student” to achieve what Jacobsen has, because of the large commitment of time and energy, Albiani said. He pointed to a state award for public speaking that Jacobsen earned, calling it the “catalyst” that gave Jacobsen the confidence to pursue a state officer position. 

The 26 current Elk Grove FFA students who attended the convention were “very excited” to see Jacobsen named an officer, Albiani said. He noted that she has stayed involved in the chapter and her election has inspired some students to participate in chapter committees and other activities.

“It’s meant a lot that the kids believe that, ‘Wow, you can do this and be from Elk Grove.’ You can be a suburban kid that came into the program not knowing a lot about it,” Albiani said.

The national position has already unlocked exciting opportunities for Jacobsen, who joined the officer team in Washington, D.C., for the annual Thanksgiving turkey pardoning on the White House lawn. She is enthusiastic about the move to Indianapolis, although not without trepidation about the winter weather.

“I am a little bit nervous for the Midwest winter. As a California girl in the Sacramento Valley, the snow and weather below about 40 degrees isn’t something I’m very used to but I’m very excited to see the snow and live in actual seasons,” Jacobsen said. 

She also looked forward to checking out a Taylor Swift-themed boutique and spending time at the National FFA Center.

Jacobsen emphasized the value she places on the Elk Grove community and the people who have helped her.

“I’m so, so grateful to come from a community like Elk Grove,” Jacobsen said.