Editor’s note: This is part of a series of stories highlighting high school students from the Brazos Valley who are active in 4-H or FFA. The series, which is sponsored by Capital Farm Credit, will culminate with selected students receiving scholarships.
With her life-long appreciation for the agriculture industry, Caldwell High School senior Caylee Garza is determined to advocate for it to the masses.
“One way I’ve been advocating is through social media,” Garza said. “There’s been so much controversy with TikTok videos showing the mistreatment of animals, but we are trying to get out a positive outlook. There’s a lot of misinformation on how inhumane the agriculture industry can be, but we can spread positivity and truth to influence those who have negative outlooks.”
Garza gained ideas on how to accomplish her influencing goals by attending Future Farmers of America state conventions where she’s learned about how other FFA chapters across the state use marketing and graphic design to make their social media more appealing.
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“I’ve learned how other chapters make their social media really cool,” Garza said. “We also started Fun Fact Friday on our FFA Chapter Instagram page where we put up these cool facts about farmers and ranchers, and we try to get our members involved by asking them to repost them on their personal accounts.”
The challenge that Garza said she faces is getting students, who aren’t already in ag classes or in the FFA, interested in agriculture. Combining humor with every day relevance could be a solution, Garza said.
“Most people have heard about 4-H, but how do we reach those not in contact with it at all? Everyone has a social media platform, though, so getting them to follow us and learn about what we’re advocating for is tough,” Garza said. “So, we try to make posts funny, but some people just need to know how they are already connected to agriculture. Like me and my brother, who have been around agriculture our whole lives, even my younger brother, who is 8, will ask me, ‘Where does this food come from?’ ‘Um, that comes from a plant, bub.’ We want to bring awareness about where food comes from, how they are connected to the grass and cows around them.”
As the FFA president at Caldwell High School, Garza is also using the internet to help children become more connected to agriculture this year. Like last year, the Caldwell FFA Club is heading up a virtual tour of animals at the Burleson County Fair for elementary students.
Garza has been involved in several capacities of FFA and 4-H. She has previously served as the 4-H treasurer, NHS vice president, FFA chaplain, 4-H reporter, FFA reporter, and Greenhand Festival committee chair. Garza was also named an All-American cheerleader, has received the FFA Lone Star Degree 2021, the FFA Greenhand Degree 2019, the FFA Chapter Degree 2020, is a UIL Ready Writing Regional Qualifier, and has been showing rabbits and heifers at the Burleson County Fair.
“Caylee has stood out from her freshman year as always very conscious about grades, very busy and involved with a lot,” said Christine Vogler, ag science teacher at Caldwell High School. “She takes initiative. She’s a natural leader. She does the work. She puts in what she needs to get results. I’ve had her for three years. And she’s been that way every year – whatever she needs to do, she gets it done. … Now, as president of our chapter, she does a good job of getting the job done.”
And she does it all with a smile and with kindness, Vogler said.
“She has a bubbly personality, is kind to others and considerate of others,” Vogler said. “She has a strong work ethic, and I feel like those are all good leadership characteristics.”