‘It changed me’

EPHRATA — For two Ephrata High School seniors, the blue corduroy jacket has been more than a uniform. It has been a road map. One that led them to unexpected skills, statewide success and ultimately, their future careers. 

Rylee Holt and Tessa Hausken, both seniors and longtime members of the Ephrata’s Future Farmers of America chapter, are preparing to compete at the Washington FFA State Convention in May.  

Between agronomy, floral design, public speaking, livestock judging and agriculture education, the pair have spent their final year of high school immersed in competitions that pushed them academically and personally.  

But the impact, they say, goes far beyond medals and rankings. 

“Getting into FFA, I learned so much about agriculture and how it really impacts the world,” Holt said.  

A new beginning in agronomy 

Holt, who joined FFA as a freshman after years in 4‑H, said she never expected to fall in love with public speaking or agricultural science. But this year, she found herself on the agronomy team and on stage. 

“We placed eighth actually, so we’ll go on stage at the State Convention in May,” she said. “It was a good new experience. I kind of wish I started it a little sooner.” 

Agronomy is the study of crops, soils, insects and plant disorders. It is one of the technical FFA contests. Holt said the intensity surprised her. 

“It’s everything to do with crop production,” she explained. “From soils to insects to seeds to plants to harvesting.” 

Her team spent months studying weeds, pests, herbicide labels and equipment. The competition ran from 8:30 to 11 a.m. without breaks. But for Holt, the challenge was worth it. 

“This is our second year having an agronomy team, so placing for the first time… I think that was pretty cool for not only our team but our chapter as a whole,” she said.  

Holt will also compete in agriculture education at the state convention – a contest that mirrors the work of real agriculture teachers. She won her district competition with a lesson on assets and liabilities. 

“I’ve learned that I actually really like public speaking,” she said. “And I learned what I want to do at college… I want to be an ag teacher.” 

She’ll attend the University of Idaho this fall to pursue agricultural education. 

Floral design, leadership  

For Hausken, FFA began as a way to show more livestock. But it quickly became something deeper. 

“When I first started, I was really involved with livestock, and that was kind of it,” she said. “Then after my second year, I was, like, ‘What am I doing? I actually really like this.’” 

Now the chapter president, Hausken has competed in floral design all four years of high school. Despite losing several veteran members and adjusting to a new advisor, the team placed sixth at state this year.  

A moment she described as “accomplished” and “proud.” 

“Seeing those newer members that were holding some doubts just be excited, like, ‘Oh my gosh, we did it,’” she said. “That was the best moment.” 

Floral is one of the most complex contests, Hausken said. It involves plant identification, pest diagnosis, sales scenarios, problem solving tests, corsage making, arrangements and plant propagation.

But for Hausken, the best part is the people. 

“I’ve made multiple friends from other teams,” she said. “We’d finish our arrangements and then afterwards we’re like, ‘Oh my god, that was so pretty.’ It’s just a friendly atmosphere.” 

FFA also helped her discover a talent for teaching. 

“I think it just showed me that I like teaching people,” she said. “I like being in that leadership position, and I feel like I’m good at it.” 

She plans to attend Washington State University to study agricultural education this fall.  

Growth, grit  

Both seniors say FFA transformed them. 

Holt, who once disliked public speaking, now competes in multiple speaking events and teaches lessons to judges. She also learned livestock handling, showing lambs for three years and rising from the bottom of her class to placing in the top five at the Grant County Fair. 

“I’ve really improved my public speaking skills throughout the last four years,” she said. “I’ve tried a lot of different things.” 

Hausken said the change in herself is even more dramatic. 

“If you knew freshman‑sophomore‑year me, I’m a totally different person,” she said. “I just wanted to show my livestock. And now I would miss my sports practice to go to FFA anytime.” 

She credits her advisors and her mom for pushing her to grow. 

“My mom is the reason I’m in FFA,” she said. “And after my mom, it would definitely be Ms. (Landra) Kosa. She’s the one who says, ‘Hey, you should do this,’ or ‘Let’s rein it in and focus.’” 

A chapter built on encouragement 

Both students said their chapter’s culture of support made their success possible. 

“We’ve had a bunch of congrats, good luck, positive affirmations,” Holt said. “We made the time to practice and improve things.” 

Hausken agreed. 

“It was a lot of having faith in one another,” she said. “If someone struggled with one part, we’d remind them of what they did amazing on. That’s the main part of supporting one another.” 

Looking ahead 

As they prepare for state convention and college, both seniors say they hope younger members see what’s possible. 

“Be involved. Try everything,” Holt said. 

Hausken echoed that sentiment. 

“You can only do this for a limited time,” she said. “Take advantage of it.” 

For two seniors who entered high school with livestock on their minds and now leave with teaching careers ahead of them, FFA has been more than a club. It has been a catalyst. 

“It changed me,” Hausken said. “And I want to help other kids find that too.” 

    Senior Rylee Holt won first place in district competitions for Agriculture Education. She will be competing at the Future Farmers of America state convention with her presentation on assets and liabilities.
  

    Tessa Hausken competes at the 2025 North Central Washington Fair with her goat. She joined Future Farmers of America to show more livestock but ultimately fell in love with multiple aspects of the organization.
  

    Rylee Holt gets first place at the 2025 Grant County Fair with her sheep. This was her third year showing sheep.