Senior Spotlight — Kallie Stephens Finding Her Voice in FFA
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
GRAPELAND – While many high school students spend their senior year counting down the days until graduation, Grapeland High School senior Kallie Stevens is busier than ever — and doing exactly what she loves.
Stevens didn’t grow up imagining she’d one day be one of the most active members of the Grapeland FFA chapter. In fact, she spent her early school years in Latexo, where she played sports and planned a more traditional high school path. That changed in eighth grade, when she transferred to Grapeland and signed up for her first agricultural class.
“After eighth grade hit and I got into ag classes and became a Greenhand, I just kind of stuck with it,” Stevens said. “I cut out sports to focus more on agriculture and FFA.”
These days, Stevens is rarely found without an FFA commitment on her schedule. This season she is competing in Public Relations (PR) and Agricultural Issues, two Leadership Development Events that require extensive preparation — and nerves of steel.
Both contests rely on fully memorized scripts running seven to ten minutes long, followed by a round of judges’ questions. In PR, her team’s presentation focused on explaining FFA’s value to school boards, especially when it comes to funding.
“This year our prompt was talking to school board members about funding for our chapter and for FFA in general,” she said. “We focused a lot on numbers, which was different from past years.”
In Agricultural Issues, she and her teammates debate a current topic in agriculture through a formatted, memorized script.
“It’s still a struggle to memorize the script, especially whenever you get up there and get nervous,” she admitted.
When asked her secret to memorization, Stevens lit up.
“I put the first letter of every word on a note card — I learned that from a friend who graduated,” she explained. “You use the letters to sound out the words, and eventually you take the cards away. It just goes from there.”
Stevens is passionate about the program, and quick to explain why she believes schools should continue investing in agricultural education.
“I didn’t know this until recently,” she said, “but the amount of funding schools get for CTE programs is thousands more per student.”
She explained that Career and Technical Education students generate significantly more state funding than non-CTE students, a difference that helps sustain programs like ag science and FFA. Part of that money supports student activities; another portion helps pay teachers.
“That’s where we get the money for our ag program in general,” she said.
Despite a demanding schedule, Stevens keeps her grades high.
“I think I’m sixth in my class,” she said. “I’m usually an A honor roll student — my dad is big on pushing that.”
She is currently taking seven dual-credit courses, allowing her to spend more time in the ag shop and with her animals as county fair season approaches.
“There’s a lot of time and commitment,” she said. “The more time I can spend down there, the less time I have to spend after school — though I still have to spend plenty of time after school.”
Stevens is also in her third year as a Houston County Fair Fan Ambassador, a role she enjoys as another chance to serve the community.
Her future plans are already shaping up: Stevens has been accepted to Sam Houston State University, where she intends to major in pre-veterinary science. After that, she has her eye on veterinary school, with Texas Tech high on her list.
“I want to minor in ag law or ag policy,” she said. “When I’m a vet and maybe have my own clinic, I want to have a voice in the community and know my rights as a veterinarian.”
Stevens knows younger students often feel torn between sports, FFA, or simply doing nothing at all — and she doesn’t hesitate when asked what she would tell a hesitant seventh grader about the path she chose for herself.
“I loved being in athletics. I still work out,” she said. “But with the career path and career goals I set for myself, FFA really pushes kids and helps with scholarship opportunities.”
“If you’re planning on going into agriculture of any kind, FFA is probably your best shot,” she said. “It gives you a foot in the door — and even though sometimes it’s rough and there’s a lot to learn, there are helping hands.”
Her hard work is already paying off. Stevens recently placed second in PR and third in Agricultural Issues, earning advancement to the area round in both events.
“If I place on Friday, I’ll be going to state,” she said, simply.
For Stevens, senior year isn’t about taking it easy — it’s about building the future she’s been working toward since that first ag class in eighth grade.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
