Amara Jackson Retiring Address | National FFA President | 97th National FFA Convention & Expo | Session 7

“Amara, get off your phone.” "Amara, just listen to me for a minute.” “Amara, did you hear what I just said?”

Maybe we all have heard some version of this before. Put your hand in the air if this sound like something your friends or parents have said to you. Yeah, me too. One of my biggest struggles is i’ll grab my phone or laptop, and scroll through my photos or on social media, and i do this whenever i am bored or want to appear busy. I often create these distractions without even thinking about them, and people in my life tend to notice. I am pretty sure your people tend to notice when you are distracted too. When our distractions consume us, we lose sight of the people around us. Distractions lead to disconnection, but awareness leads to a connected life. In fact, i could remember one specific point in my life, not too long ago, when distraction got the best of me and I lost the sight of the people in my life.

For as long as I can remember, my Grandma’s house has been immaculately clean. I mean, you could eat a scoop of ice cream off her floor if you wanted. She was born in the United Kingdom, (and spent most of her life before coming to america traveling everywhere around the British empire from Angola to Zimbabwean Rhodesia) before coming to america and had the poise of a queen. This poise did not lack when it came to the tidiness of her house.

But as Grandma aged, it became harder for her to keep her house clean. So your girl is a Junior in high school, and I have been asked to help grandma Clean her house. I suspect she wants me there for more reasons than to just push the mop. She loved seeing her grandkids, but this is a busy season of life for me. With sports, FFA, Student Council, and a social life, I’m just not into spending my free time cleaning. But it is probably the right thing to do, and i can make a little extra cash for it. So I add “Cleaning Grandma’s House” to the to-do list.

When I am cleaning it is the perfect time to think about my upcoming plans. While vacuuming, i silently reviewed my agenda for the upcoming week again. But anytime the vacuum shuts off, Grandma starts to chat. “What are you learning in your classes, Amara? How are your friends doing'“ Grandma asked. I say “Not much, and my friends are fine.” I continue with dusting, so focused and with each swipe of the dusting cloth, grandma is channel surfing. “What do you like to watch on TV, Amara?” Grandma asked. I was so focused I said “What did you say, grandma?” I continue in the bathroom, and I scrub the bathtub and toilet. Finally! Some peace and quiet! I run through my to-do list. and then she follows me into the kitchen and sits at the kitchen table. As i am pushing the mop, i am thinking of what i need to be prepared for. Am i prepared for band practice tomorrow? Do I have opening ceremonies memorized for next week’s FFA meeting? Am I ready for the swim meet? Oh, shoot. I forgot to tell my coaches that the swim meet and dance practice conflict next week. Plus I need to text my friends back to tell them i an available this weekend. Shoot! I stopped Mopping! I work as quick as possible, focused just to get grandma’s stamp of approval. I was in and out to get back to whatever I was doing that day. And on repeat, every two weeks, grandma would leave a voicemail like this:

“Yeah, Amara. Just Grandma. Calling to see when you want to come and clean again. You can call back whenever you have time. Love You. Bye.”

Every 2 weeks i would sweep, mop, dust, and chat (only when grandma asked questions,) and then i’d leave. I would squeeze an hour of cleaning out of respect for grandma, but it was more of a planning period, than an act of service. I was never truly present when visiting grandma to clean, because to me it was just another thing I had to check off my to do list.

But somewhere between Junior year and graduating High School, between the busyness, distractions, and commitments, grandma’s life was changing. And I was barely noticing. I, like normal, was in and out and on to the next thing. Until the next thing was planning her funeral. On February 4, 2022, Grandma passed away after a battle with cancer. At the funeral service, I remember looking around, and seeing friends and family. Familiar and unfamiliar faces of people grandma had relationships with. Yet as I sat there, I felt like a stranger at my own family gathering, like I didn’t know the faces around me. I had spent every two weeks and grandma’s house cleaning, but I still felt like I didn’t have a strong relationship after all these years. Deep down, I feel like I received an invitation an event, but I showed up at the wrong address.

Why? Why do I feel this way? Why do I feel disconnected? Sitting in that uncomfortable pew at the funeral service, I had no choice but to face this reality, and It dawned on me: I had been going a million miles a minute, focused on I, ME, MINE! EVERYTHING AMARA NEEDED! EVERYTHING AMARA THOUGHT! EVERYTHING AMARA HAD TO DO! This was the first time, in a long time that i had been forced to stop and look at the faces around me. Why do I feel this way? I’m Distracted, and so disconnected. That is why i feel this way.

I had been constantly caught up on the “next best thing”, forgetting that the best thing was right in front of me. A relationship. Someone’s Life. My Grandma. Now there are consequences for my distractions. A lack of connection I cannot undo, and time I cannot get back.

Distraction Leads to Disconnection. And the worst part is that by the time we realize we are distracted, its usually too late. And so here I an now. What could I do? I could dwell on this, but I know my grandma wouldn’t want me to. Instead, She’d want me to learn from it. What are we missing because we are distracted?

Distractions are everywhere. Our Phones buzz, music plays, people talk, and the news keeps being shared. We bounce between tabs on our computers, scroll mindlessly on our phones, and our thoughts drift to the past, replaying mistakes and reliving old wounds. We worry about the future. Tomorrow's to-do list, where we will sit at lunch, if we will ace our test. We constantly over analyze ourselves. What do i wear? What do people think about me? Am i good enough? And in the middle of it all we lose focus, unsure of what we were thinking about in the first place! What is distracting you, and what is holding you back from connecting with the people around you? If distraction leads to disconnection, then how do we get true, meaningful connection?

Something i love about FFA is that the events always do the best at allowing us to connect with others. It’s April and i am at a event with about 150 FFA Members. This member, lets just call her Jackie, we cross paths on the first day, and she is quick to welcome me in and introduce herself. I immediately notice she is radiant, like when the sun shines on a clear day. Her smile is reassuring, and I can't help noticing how kind she is. That week, throughout the event, I see Jackie talking with others and soaking up the experience.

Fast forward a few days, and the event is ending. Personally I have a lot on my mind. I have some tasks i need to get done, some text messages i need to reply back to, and I am going to call my mom about how my week went. I’m feeling tired, and if i admit it, kind of homesick. Distractions! The gavel taps, the event ends, and i am eager to head for the door. I stood up from my auditorium seat, took some steps, and there Jackie is.

Before I leave, Jackie says “Bye Amara, it was great to meet you this week!” I replied back “Bye Jackie, it was great to meet you too! How was your experience?” She replied “Oh Amara, I had the best time. I’m so glad I came. I almost quit FFA Before This Experience.” She was gleaming. I could see how much she enjoyed this experience in her eyes. But i am caught off guard, and I stop, and i say to myself “Amara, Focus. She just said something really important. I know you are tired, but just listen for once.” I set my stuff down and i am aware that I need to pay attention to Jackie. I ask “Why did you almost quit FFA, Jackie?” She said “Well Amara, I’m new to this state, and I am struggling to figure out where I belong. But this week, I feel like I have found my people. These people pay attention to me. They listen to me. I finally feel like I belong!” I could imagine what Jackie must have been feeling before coming to this event. Moving to a new place is tough, especially when you are surrounded by all new people. It can be hard to fit in. I am sure some of us have felt that before too. To the other members at that event, thank you for being aware enough to care for a fellow peer. Thank you for not being distracted, and missing this person who needed a friend. Your Awareness built a connection. Because of you, Jackie found her people. Once we officially ended our conversation and officially said our goodbyes, I made my way towards the exit, this time slower than before, replaying our conversation in our mind. Now i wonder, how many other moments like this have I missed, because i was not aware. Awareness is powerful. It is not lost to me that the only reason i can retell this story is that Jackie called me by name. I set my stuff down, and for once, I was aware of our connection. Finally, I was stronger than my distractions. Distractions are inevitable, and i have learned that catching ourselves in the middle of distractions is hard, but a not distracted, aware life is a connected life. Whenever we find ourselves surrounded by people, it is an invitation to set our stuff down, our phones, our watering minds, our distractions, and be aware. When we connect with others, we can experience genuine connections, and that my friends, is when we are truly living. Awareness is an invitation to a connected life. Don’t miss the invitation.

Let’s think how we can check for awareness. For me, I like to look down at my shoes. And when i do I ask myself “Where am I right now 😕?” This brings awareness to me. But there are other reminders we can use. Maybe this looks like anytime we walk through a doorway, we refocus on the room we just walked in, and we ask ourselves “Why am I here?” Maybe whenever we buckle our seat belt in the car, we ask ourselves “Where am I going?” Maybe we keep something in our pocket, and anytime we feel it we ask ourselves “What is my purpose for being in this moment?” What is a reminder you can use? Think of something that can center you and remind you to be aware. When we are aware, we are connected. Awareness is an invitation to a connected life.

Imagine a world where human connection is our priority, where we embrace less distraction and more awareness. In a society that sees connection as texting, liking on Instagram pictures, commenting on people’s posts, and whether or not we are invited to hang out with our friends, those are actually all distractions, that lave us feeling isolated, lonely, and ultimately, not connected. Meaningful Connection is achieved when we are aware of the people around us, and a deeper calling to let go of what is distracting us.

A not distracted, aware life is a connected life. are we willing to take a hard look at where we are distracted? Are we ready to live a life that is not distracted, but focused on others? It can be pretty simple, and the solution is at our fingertips. Awareness. Where are we right now? For me, I’m on Stage at Lucas Oil Stadium at the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo. I’m here to celebrate with 70,000 of my closest friends. A not distracted, aware life is a connected life. Now is your time. Let go of your distractions and accept the invitation to live a connected life.

Amara. You are the definition of what it means to lead by example, not by explanation. Your Optimism, humility, and joy have added value to every room you enter. You are a lover of the color orange, a sweet treat enthusiast, and the first one in line at the public pool. Thank you for always putting service above self, and for meeting everyone where they are at. Side by side, or miles apart. We’ve been best friends right from the start. Better Together.

Love: Kanyon, Grant, Emily, Morgan, & Carter.