Abel Kooima of the Waupun FFA Chapter was elected to a year of service as the 2024-2025 Section Six State FFA Officer during the 95th Wisconsin FFA Convention. His advisors are Mr. Beaver, Ms. Costello, Mr. Christian, Mr. Daane, Mr. Seichter, and Mrs. Chitko. Helen and Bob Kooima are Abel’s parents.
Kooima is a 2024 graduate who plans to attend Moraine Park Technical College in order to to prepare for a career in the fire service. He plans to study fire protection training as well as paramedic training while at the school.
It is not surprise that Abel is passionate about serving in the fire service—when asked about his supervised agricultural experience, he addresses the sacrifice it takes to be successful in his project. Kooima travels to Michigan to work on his uncle’s mink farm, leading crews and working his way up farm leadership, while also helping out at a local dairy farm during the school year as well.
Abel credits Jason Wetzler’s speech at the 94th annual Wisconsin FFA Convention as a moment that changed his life, taking heart in the message that “what we accomplish will never be as important as who we become”. Meeting with Wetzler later helped set Abel on the path of service. “An FFA event can completely set you on a new life course,” says Kooima, who will spend his year of service helping to FFA members set their own new course.
About Wisconsin Association of FFA:
The Wisconsin Association of FFA is a leading student organization due to the efforts of 253 FFA Chapters across the state. With a focus on premier leadership, personal growth and career success, students’ FFA activities complement agricultural classroom instruction by giving them an opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge while gaining real-world experience. These activities are dependent on donor funding through the Wisconsin FFA Foundation. The FFA is also supported by the Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association. For more information about Wisconsin FFA, the Wisconsin FFA Foundation and the Wisconsin FFA Alumni visit https://wisconsinaged.org.
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