That is my passion: I want to be that spark for those that I meet. I want to leave my legacy through the lives of others. I want to use the gifts that God has given me to do everything I can to change the lives of others. I realized this passion, and what I could do with it, at the Washington Leadership Conference. Going back and looking at what the National FFA says about WLC "During the five-day event, attendees learn how to become effective leaders by teaching them to know their purpose, value people, take action, and serve others."
I can truly say all of those things can sum up WLC to the point. I found my purpose of serving others through WLC and I saw what needed to be done and how I could be that difference. My eyes were open to not only the members from different states that attended WLC, but also those that are all around us within the United States and across the globe that need our help each and every day. There are things that we take for granted each day, like shoes for example, that are a necessity for others around the world, and they may never experience what it is like to wear a pair of shoes. I learned to take action, and through my Living To Serve Plan I developed a plan on how I can take that action within my community and get others involved within the TOMS movement.
And most importantly, I saw the need that we all have to serve others. Without the help from others, we would all be lost, and I would not be where I am today. Our society depends on us all helping each other out when we need the help. I would have never found my niche within FFA if others were not there to help me and now that I have been given this opportunity it is my duty and my calling to use it to serve others. WLC has truly changed my life and I would not have a passion and a calling in life if I had not attended that life changing event. That is why I want to be a WLC facilitator, so I can give future members that same opportunity that I was allowed to experience, and make a difference in their lives, and through them, the lives of many more. I want to give back to this amazing organization that has already given me so much.
If anyone knows me, they know how much my shoes mean to me. It's such a remedial thing, but my TOMS are what keep me going every day with the mentality of making a difference. I am one lonely kid from a small town, but here I wear these shoes as a symbol of a child I have helped half way across the world experience a necessity. This is what I am able to do at this point with my service.
My most dreaded comment, but secretly also my most favorite, is "I like your slippers". This always gets me going, especially when my Ag teacher says it every week to ride my case. I love this comment because it gives me that opening to explain what my shoes are all about and what the TOMS movement works towards. That is what my LTS Plan is all about, getting the word out and through that, impacting others to make the purchase and donate a pair of shoes. This is what I am able to do all the way out here in the country as an 18 year old, and I couldn't be any prouder. I love what my shoes stand for, and I feel that pride every time I put them on.
Hopefully someday down the road I can follow that passion and that pride and work for TOMS and my ultimate goal would be to go on a TOMS giving trip and see that progress happening in front of my eyes. Seeing all of that hard work and everyone who purchases a pair of TOMS coming together to make a world of difference in the lives of those children. That is what keeps me going and why I truly love my shoes.
Today was the day I graduated high school and it was the closing of one chapter in my life and the beginning of a new one. You'd expect me to be scared out of my mind for the possibilities coming ahead for me, but I'm actually doing quite well. This is because I know that no matter what happens in the future, I will be following my passion and doing what I love and get joy out of. That is why I want to be an Agricultural Education teacher, because I would say that ag teachers are the ones that get closest to their students. My life has been infinitely changed by my ag teachers and they continue to support me and invest in me. The things that they have done to help me get where I am today are too long to say, but I will never forget each and every one of them.
That is what I get to look forward to each and every day of my life. I get to be that change for future agricultural education students and FFA members. I get to give back to the community and the organization that has truly changed my life. My heart lies within agriculture and impacting others, and that is where I get to spend the rest of my life! Honestly, how cool is that? I can't wait to see what kind of difference I can do through my teaching in the lives of students and how that will affect them and their lives. There are few people that can say that they get the chance to make a difference in the world and mold the future, but ag teachers are a core part of that group.
So no matter where life takes me, I know I'll be there because I want to make a difference in the lives of others. I will always be following my passion, so I just have to wait and see where it brings me. I may not work with TOMS, I may join the Peace Corps or work with the local food bank; all I do know is that I have one amazing life ahead of me and as long as I follow that passion, I can do anything.
This is the end of my high school career, but I promise you it will not be the end of my passion or my goals. It will merely be a stepping stone for the things that I hope to achieve within my life and the places I want to go. There is a rare opportunity before me to live a life that I can truly be proud of and enjoy every second of it, so what kind of fool would I be to let that go? I can promise you world that the Vinz Karl you first met, is one you will be greatly surprised by when you see where he will end up.
