Knodel elected FFA state sentinel

Under the bright lights and in front of thousands of students in blue and gold jackets, Brandon Knodel proudly accepted his new title as Washington FFA State Sentinel.

Becoming a state officer has been a dream of Knodel’s since he discovered and entered the FFA nearly six years ago.

On Saturday evening, May 12, Knodel stood alongside nine other candidates from the state of Washington with butterflies in his stomach and with a desire to capture this once in a lifetime opportunity.

The position of sentinel was announced first and upon hearing his name called, tears filled his eyes and a smile stretched ear to ear.

“Everyone told me to take it all in, enjoy the moment. I took it all in, and it was real,” said Knodel. “But my thoughts were, ‘don’t trip on the stairs.’ I didn’t want that to be the first thing that I did as a state officer.”

As hugs were exchanged from Knodel and the former state officer team, the one thing that affected him the most was the applause and screams he heard coming from the crowd, and most importantly, from the Lind FFA Chapter.

“The cool thing about the whole experience is my chapter’s support for me and their cheers,” said Knodel. “The one thing I’ll always remember is right after they announced the top 10 candidates.”

During the Friday night session, the 17 eligible candidates were narrowed down to 10 finalists, and this served as the most nerve-racking time for Knodel as his name was the last one announced. Immediately after the announcement, the top 10 had a meeting backstage and drew the order for speeches the following day.

After the meeting, Knodel found himself face to face with a former state officer who informed him that there was a huge group of FFA members waiting for him at the end of the tunnel and he should run to them. “Don’t look back, and don’t stop running,” were the instructions given.

Knodel took off in a dead sprint through the tunnel in Beasley Coliseum to the open arms of his fellow chapter members. The group buried him in hugs and praise before lifting him into the air and carrying him proudly above them.

“It still doesn’t seem real, I’m still just living the dream,” grinned Knodel. “It will probably become real when I get my jacket.”

For becoming a state officer, Knodel receives a new FFA jacket with his title and a gold chain to hang from his jacket. The gold chain is awarded only to FFA members that earn the state officer title.

The dream of becoming a state officer started when Knodel joined the FFA and realized the amount of opportunities the organization provides to youth. In his speech that he gave on Saturday titled “Moments,” Knodel described how different moments, both positive and negative, could change a person’s life forever.

As a child, Knodel’s dream was to play professional basketball and to compete in the sport his entire life. But when he was diagnosed with a disease in his leg, he realized he would not be able to play basketball to the ability he had always imagined.

Knodel discovered a new passion that drove him to succeed and helped him discover his talents outside of sports.

“I decided to run for state office because of my love and passion for the FFA, and for getting the opportunity to serve the state,” explained Knodel. “I’ve always wanted the chance to lead and make an impact in agriculture.”

The excitement for convention went beyond the announcement of Knodel as a state officer when the Lind Meats Judging team placed first and received the opportunity to attend FFA National Convention. Knodel also received his State Degree, an award required for all state officers.

“I was blessed to have such a good day,” said Knodel. “I don’t want the fact that I became a state officer to outshine how well the meat’s team did and what they achieved.”

Knodel competed as a part of the meats team, but a significant part of his convention experience was consumed with state officer requirements.

Thursday, Knodel had to take a knowledge exam of FFA history and agricultural questions. He also had a five-minute group interview and a group activity with other candidates.

On Friday, Knodel had an individual interview with a panel of judges, which lasted about 15 minutes. He said that he was not nervous at all, partially because he placed third in job interview earlier this year.

During the Saturday afternoon session, Knodel presented his speech to the delegates. There are two delegates selected from every chapter across the state to participate and vote for the state officers, as well as make other decisions pertinent to the Washington FFA.

“During my speech, I froze up for a long time, like four or five seconds. People started cheering but I had just frozen. I wasn’t feeling good about the speech afterwards,” Knodel said.

Lind FFA advisor and Ag teacher, Andy Williams, insisted that Knodel had only paused for a second and the speech had been flawless. Williams and Knodel have developed a professional working relationship and great friendship over the last six years, and the two commend each other for Knodel’s success and the achievements of the Lind FFA chapter.

Earlier this school year, Williams missed about two months of school for a family emergency and Knodel stepped up to help the chapter continue to compete. Williams said that Knodel coached the agronomy and potatoes team in his absence, and the agronomy team is moving on to nationals this fall.

“I didn’t realize how much I’d miss him,” joked Knodel about Williams. “It made me appreciate him and all that he does for us. I need to express my appreciation to all of my supporters, but especially Williams. He made a huge impact on my life. He’s my mentor and he’s going to be a life-long friend.”

Knodel plans to thank all of those that have helped him make this dream a reality at the Lind FFA banquet on Thursday, May 24. He is retiring as president of the chapter that night and then he turns his focus to graduation, where he is graduating as one of five Valedictorians in his class.

After graduation, the whirlwind of activities and events begins for Knodel and he looks forward to all of the experiences with excitement and positivity.

Because of the time commitment and the hectic schedule, state officers are recommended to postpone college during their year as representatives.

Postponing college for a year does not bother Knodel, he already has a plan. After his term as sentinel for the state, he wants to attend Pacific Lutheran University and earn a double major in religion and business.

Knodel is still figuring out his schedule as a state officer, but a few events have already been brought to his attention. The most exciting event for Knodel is the officer trip to Argentina as it will be the first time he has ever traveled outside of the country.

Over the course of the year, Knodel travels to state fairs in the area, visits FFA chapters in the state with one of the other state officers, attends an officer only retreat called “Blastoff,” travels to all of the district leadership camps in the state, and serves as an advocate for agriculture in Olympia during legislative hearings concerning agricultural topics.

The first event Knodel is attending is a state officer trip to Corvallis, Ore., in the beginning of July. The Washington FFA state officer team uses this opportunity to meet and create relationships with the neighboring state’s officers.

“I’m planning to learn as I go and soak it all up while I can. This really is a once in a lifetime experience,” said Knodel.

The rest of the state officer’s serving Washington this year are Cole Snider from Enumclaw, president; Jacob Barth of Quincy, vice president; Darmen Jeg of Chehalis, secretary; Jordan Smith of North Thurston, treasurer; and David Stitt from Monroe as reporter.

Officers received a personal e-mail address after the convention and Knodel can be reached at [email protected].