Tri-State Neighbor: South Dakota Farm Newspaper

Cortney Schmidt is the 2007-2008 Northwest Iowa State FFA vice president. She is currently a freshman at Iowa State University, double-majoring in agriculture education and agriculture communications. She grew up on farm near Ocheyedan, Iowa. Courtesy photo

Only a week after she had the lead in the Sibley-Ocheyedan high school musical, Cortney Schmidt woke up wondering if she'd ever be able to speak and sing like she did in the play again.

It was Thanksgiving morning 2006 and the left side of her face and her left arm were completely paralyzed - she was diagnosed with Bell's palsy.

Today, little over a year later, Schmidt serves as the Northwest Iowa State FFA vice president.

In this position she helps promote the nation's largest youth organization - the National FFA Organization. She communicates with agriculture business and industry leaders and travels the state encouraging high school students to develop leadership, communication and teamwork skills by actively participating in FFA contests and chapter activities. She does all this while attending Iowa State University full time.

“At one time (Bell's palsy) almost stopped me from running for a state office, I didn't know how people would perceive me,” said Schmidt, who grew up on a farm near Ocheyedan, Iowa. “My family is very supportive and helped me realize the fact that this situation happened to me for a reason, and we could make the best of it together.”

Bell's palsy is a condition which, like in Schmidt's case, comes on suddenly and impacts the facial nerves causing temporary or permanent facial paralysis. As a high school senior, Schmidt says it was a difficult diagnosis to hear.

“It happened before my senior prom - and my senior year of high school. My parents made me realize that God gave this to me for a reason because I could handle it,” Schmidt said. “I did have some tough days, especially in January, because it happened in November and they said I should be better in two weeks - I kept wondering why it was not going away.”

Determination and positive outlook pay off

Becoming a state FFA officer had been a goal of Schmidt's since she attended her first state FFA convention her freshman year in high school.

“I listened to a state officer, Betsy Ratashak on stage at state convention - she became my FFA role model and I decided to get as involved as possible in the FFA,” Schmidt said.

Even though she claimed to be a shy freshman, her high school FFA adviser Mike Earll says that Schmidt's enthusiasm, work ethic and determination, even as a freshman, made her a very successful student and FFA member.

“She has always been a very enthusiastic young lady - even as a freshman,” said Earll, who has taught agriculture education for 28 years. “She came in with a very competitive class and managed to be the president of her conduct of meetings team her freshman year.”

Conduct of meetings is an FFA contest where FFA members put on a mock meeting using parliamentary procedure.

They are judged on their ability to correctly use parliamentary procedure and efficiently run a meeting. Schmidt's team won their district competition and went on to state. As a high school member, Schmidt also competed in public speaking.

“I used to be very shy. FFA really helped me come out of my shell,” Schmidt said. “I gained speaking skills and became comfortable with myself.”

Starting her freshman year, Schmidt's FFA career took off. She became a chapter officer and won the Iowa Rising Star Award, which is awarded to only one sophomore FFA member.

She says the organization provided her with many opportunities she never dreamed of when she decided to join as a freshman.

“Joining the FFA was a no-brainer for me. I was the typical farm girl and agriculture was something I enjoyed. I was not prepared for the leadership, communication and teamwork skills I would gain,” said Schmidt, who grew up doing chores on her family's farm where they raise 200-head of stock cows, operate a 900-head feedlot and grow 1,600 acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa.

Then as a sophomore she had her first discouraging moment - she ran for a district office, was put on the ballot and lost. She ran again her junior year and again was on the ballot and lost.

At this point, she wasn't sure if she should run for a state FFA office or not.

In Iowa, FFA members who want to become a district or state FFA officer go through three rounds of interviews.

Based on those interviews, a nominating committee then selects which students will be put on a ballot. If their name is on a ballot, they then give a speech in front of their peers and their peers then vote. Once the votes are tallied, the state or district officer team is announced.

“I ran twice for a district office and got beat, then I got Bell's palsy - if it had not been for my parents telling me I could do it, I wouldn't have run,” Schmidt said. “The fact that they stuck with me and the FFA is so accepting of so many different types of people made it better because I knew I could be involved in the FFA and fit in.”

Schmidt says that the confidence she had developed through giving presentations in her agriculture education classes, the FFA parliamentary procedure and public speaking contests, helped her overcome the insecurities that came along with Bell's palsy. She decided to run for a state office.

“The fact was that I was still me. I maybe looked a little different, but I hoped that people would look on the inside and not the outside,” Schmidt said. “That was a little hard to do as a high school senior because people are so sight-driven, but I hoped they would look past the handicap to the person inside and they did.”

After going through the interviews, the nominating committee put Schmidt on the ballot for the position as Northwest Iowa FFA vice president - unopposed.

“It's always neat when a young person, like Cortney, sets a goal and kept working on it, put her heart and soul into it and kept trying until she was finally successful,” Earll said.

As a state FFA officer, Schmidt says that her experience with Bell's palsy helps her better relate to FFA members that may also have a handicap.

“We have some students in our FFA membership that are handicapped in certain ways. Before this happened to me, I would not have been able to relate to them because I had never been in their shoes before,” Schmidt said. “Now I better understand what they go through.”

Today, more than a year after waking up with Bell's palsy, Schmidt says that her face is only partially paralyzed and she has her speech back to normal.

“I practiced talking a lot, which is easy for me because I love to talk. I was a little self-conscious, but it came back to me,” said Schmidt, who is currently an ISU freshman, double-majoring in agriculture communications and agriculture education.

“I'm mostly myself again,” she said. “Sometimes people can tell when I smile because it's a little lopsided. It makes for a good conversation starter.”

As she moves into the last few months as a state officer - the new team is elected in April - Schmidt is looking forward to visiting a few more agriculture education classrooms and visiting with more FFA members.

She encourages students to pursue their dreams and goals - even if they don't achieve them right away.

“If you want to run for an office or have another goal, do it. I got beat out twice for district office. When I did run (for state office), I was balloted against myself - becoming a state officer was my dream and it finally came true for me,” Schmidt said.