Amanda Hoffmann with Samuel Clemens High School Cibolo Creek Future Farmers of America became a Texas FFA Association Ford Leadership scholar on Nov. 18.
According to the Texas FFA Association, the Ford Leadership Scholars program is a result of the Texas FFA Foundation and Texas Ford Dealers partnership created to give students more leadership opportunities.
Hoffmann is one of 10 selected students who met the criteria of exemplifying the six key characteristics of leadership: action, relationships, vision, character, awareness and continuous improvement.
According to Hoffmann, this achievement is the culmination of years of hard work beginning with her time in 4-H during elementary school.
“I started in FFA when I was a freshman in high school,” Hoffmann said. “I have been in 4-H since I was in third grade, and I raised animals and everything like that.”
When she reached high school, Hoffmann wanted to take advantage of FFA programs and opportunities, which led her to applying for the Ford Leadership Scholar program.
“Once I reached high school, I wanted all the opportunities that FFA provided such as career development events and more scholarship opportunities like the Ford Leadership Scholar, which really helped me to develop my leadership skills and personal growth,” Hoffmann said.
Hoffmann said she is excited to learn new leadership, interview and career skills through the program along with the ability to meet others with the same passion for FFA.
After becoming a Ford Leadership scholar, Hoffmann will begin a yearlong community service project. For her project, she plans to host a hygienic goods drive and donate those goods to people in the community who may not be able to afford those goods.
“I’m going to distribute those to people who cannot afford things such as toilet paper, hand sanitizer, sanitary napkins and everything like that that we often take advantage of and we forget that we are so grateful to have those things that keep us clean,” Hoffmann said.
Hoffmann said that living through the COVID-19 pandemic reminded her of the importance of hygienic goods and the number of people who may not have convenient access to them.
While not set in stone, Hoffmann said that she has plans to work with parks around San Antonio to distribute the goods in minilibraries, where people can take and donate items whenever they walk by. The goal with her project is to reach individuals around Bexar County.
As for the drive portion of her project, Hoffmann plans to run a monthlong event in January at Samuel Clemens High School and Byron P. Steele II High School for students to contribute.
Following the drive, Hoffmann hopes to partner with the Randolph Area Christian Assistance Program, to assist in the distribution of donations.
