Amanda Pevey
Elmore Autauga News
For five years, Adriana Rasberry dreamed about hearing her name called as Alabama FFA Association president. When that moment finally arrived, she said it was so overwhelming she could hardly believe it was real.
Now, the Billingsley FFA member will spend the next year serving as the 2026-27 Alabama FFA Association president, representing thousands of FFA members across the state while encouraging students to discover their own potential through agricultural education and leadership.
“It was almost like I was watching myself from outside my body because it just didn’t feel real,” said Rasberry. “It was something I’d been wanting for five years, and when it finally became a reality, it was astounding.”
For Rasberry, earning the organization’s highest student leadership position is about more than a title. It is an opportunity to help future FFA members reach goals they may have never imagined possible.
One of her biggest priorities during the coming year is helping Alabama students become even more competitive at the national level by expanding leadership development opportunities that prepare members for competition before they reach the national stage.
“We’ve seen students perform better nationally because they’ve had those experiences beforehand,” Rasberry said. “I want to continue creating those opportunities so more students can succeed.”
Just as important, she hopes her own story reminds students that they do not need a traditional agricultural background to find a home in FFA.
“I didn’t come from an agricultural background,” Rasberry said. “Through FFA, I found a passion for agriculture and found something I wanted to serve. Your background doesn’t define you. It’s your passion, your love for this organization and how you choose to lead that make the difference.”
That message is especially meaningful to Rasberry because she found encouragement from the moment, she joined the Billingsley FFA Chapter in seventh grade.
“The biggest thing about Billingsley is the support,” she said. “From our teachers and administration to local businesses, churches and county leaders, I always felt like there was someone encouraging me. I never felt like I was doing it alone.”
Billingsley FFA adviser Logan Strock said Rasberry’s becoming president represents years of investment by an entire school and community that believed in her long before she stood on the convention stage.
“I think Adriana being the state president is the culmination of hard work on her part, on my part and on everybody’s part,” Strock said. “Our entire chapter poured into Adriana because we recognized her leadership ability and wanted to help prepare her to pour into others.”
Strock said he recognized Rasberry’s leadership potential early in her FFA career.
“From the time Adriana was in seventh grade, there was never a doubt in my mind that she could become a state officer,” he said. “She has a natural wit, charisma and leadership ability. My job was to help her see that potential in herself. I knew she was someone who was going to be successful no matter what path she chose.”
He believes Rasberry’s achievement sends an important message to younger students who may question whether they belong in FFA.
“I hope students recognize that where you come from has no bearing on what you’re capable of accomplishing in FFA,” Strock said. “Adriana is a testament to hard work, grit and determination, and I hope younger students see that in her and realize they can do the same.”
As Rasberry begins traveling the state and serving Alabama FFA members over the next year, she will carry with her not only the blue jacket that represents the organization, but also the support of a hometown that believed in her from the very beginning.
For Billingsley, her election is more than an individual accomplishment. It is a reminder that when a community invests in its young people, those young people can grow into leaders who inspire an entire state.
