James Perdue of Kingfisher High School was in the eighth grade when he first joined the FFA. Now a freshman at Oklahoma State University, Perdue said being in FFA has opened a lot of doors for his future.

“Being in FFA allowed me to meet so many people at all the events we went to. This has opened so many doors for me going into college. As soon as I was eligible to enroll in FFA I joined,” said Perdue.

As a youth, Perdue was heavily involved in the 4-H Club. His goal was to continue giving speeches, judging, and showing livestock. Perdue has accomplished that goal thanks to his involvement with the FFA chapter at school.

“With the Kingfisher FFA chapter, I was active on several teams such as showing livestock, parliamentary procedures, agriculture issues, livestock judging, green hand quiz bowl, animal science quiz bowl, FFA creed, and speeches. I also held an office my junior and senior year,” said Perdue. “Having an older sibling that showed before me I picked up showing pigs at a young age. I showed pigs in 4-H and continued to show through my senior year in FFA.”

Perdue said anyone interested in FFA should talk to a member and learn more about the program.

“There’s a saying that people only think that FFA is all about plows, cows, and sows. This couldn’t be more far from the truth. You don’t have to grow up on a farm to be in FFA. There are several things other than showing animals. So, if you are thinking about joining FFA then you should definitely give it a try. FFA will better you in several ways and you may not realize it until you graduate but you will appreciate what FFA has done for you and how many doors it has opened for you journey beyond high school,” said Perdue.

Perdue is pursuing a degree in aviation management and pro pilot at OSU.