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More Feature Articles

January 2010
-Creature-Focused Careers
-Former Members Reflect: Dr. Dwight Armstrong
-Levy Randolph
-Safety on Speed Dial
-Preserving Their Culture
-Off and Away

November 2009
-Former Members Reflect: Emilie Bocker
-Turn That Down!
-Car Smarts
-So Much Cooler Online
-Laila Hajji
-The Water Way
-A Greater Cause

June 2009
-Stretch Your Summer Income
-Riley Branch
-Turn That Down
-Behind-The-Scenes Star

May 2009
-Welcoming Women
-Regina Holliday
-Job Interview Jitters
-So Much Cooler Online
-Questioning Your College Choices?

-A Can-Do Attitude
-Former Members Reflect: Michele Payn-Knoper

April 2009
-Hannah Crossen
-Cowboy Book With a Cause
-From FFA to 33Miles
-There’s Cash in Your Future
-I’m Angry…Now What?
-For the Love of Landscaping
-Perfect Balance
-Gardening For A Cause

February 2009
-Blue-Ribbon Banjo Player
-FFA as an Art Form
-Wild About Animals
-Nessie Early
-Be a PAL
-Full Throttle
-Living to Serve
-Special Invitation

January 2009
-All About National FFA Week
-Paul Moya
-Justin Floyd
-Partners for the Planet
-Finding Balance
-Swimming in Aquaculture
-Breaking Records
-Take It Slow

December 2008
-National FFA convention to rotate homes

November 2008
-Dr. Al Snyder
-Scholarship Secrets
-Gear Up for National FFA Week
-Kari Boettcher
-Resist Peer Pressure
-Good to the Last Crop
-All Creatures, Great and Small
-Sparking Interest

September 2008
-Agriculture Accuracy
-Crissa Fruechte
-Brady Revels
-Get Up!
-Proceed With Caution
-All in Good Taste
-Clutch Performance
-Step Right Up

July 2008
-Take It to a New Level
-Deep-Rooted Interest
-Take a Deep Breath
-Tyler Tenbarge
-Inspired by FFA
-On the Right Track

May 2008
-In the Vault
-Your Money: Keeping Records
-National Officer Q&A
-We’re All Unique
-Best in Show
-Grab Life by the Reins

March 2008
-Call to Order!
-Reality Check
-Turtle Power
-By the Numbers
-Dale Darling
-A Token of Appreciation
-National Officer Q&A

January 2008
-National Officer Q&A
-Back Talk: Paul McCutchan
-Building Bright Futures

November 2007
-National Officer Q&A
-Back Talk: Corey Flournoy
-Biofuels Mean Business
-Go, Team, Go
-A Tractor Tradition

October 2007
-National Officer Q&A
-Back Talk: Kristie VerMulm
-Give them an A+
-Cranberry Crazy
-Racing to Indy

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FFA Feature

Perfect Balance

Sam Cantwell juggles three sports and FFA

April 2009

As a 10th-grade student at the Academy for Sciences and Agriculture (AFSA) in Vadnais Heights, Minn., Sam Cantwell is a lot like many of his classmates – into sports, active in FFA and a good student. But dig a little deeper, and it’s clear that Sam is unique. Born with a condition called profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, Sam is deaf. And while he wears hearing aids in both ears, he is unable to hear most of the sounds that the rest of us take for granted.

Sam has never let his physical limitations keep him from enjoying his high school career. In fact, his achievements – in the classroom, on the field, and in FFA – would be remarkable for anyone, let alone a deaf person. FFA New Horizons recently had a conversation with Sam, via e-mail.

Tell us about your FFA involvement.

I participated in the creed speaking career development event (CDE) last year and will be in the farm business management CDE this year. Last year, I was the recipient of our chapter’s Star Greenhand award. For my supervised agricultural experience program (SAE), I was the “project engineer” for laying a sidewalk at our school. I made the measurements and figured out the cost and led my class through the installation. I joined the AFSA FFA chapter because the school and the classes are small, so you get more individual attention and there are a lot of leadership opportunities. Also, the student/teacher relationships are very positive – you feel comfortable talking to them and they’re supportive of what you want to do as long as you show an interest or desire.

Your grandparents have a farm, and we learned that you work there during the summer. Where is it?

In South Dakota, north of Aberdeen. They are actually retired now, so the work is more maintaining the small-acreage farm. I still run the tractors to do odd jobs and help my grandpa keep the farm in good shape. Last year I helped him put up some fence, and we put a new steel roof on his barn.

You also play basketball, baseball and soccer. What’s it like taking part in all these activities? How do you balance it all?

First off, I owe my success to all the support I get from my school, teachers and fellow students; they provide what I need to be successful. For FFA events, the teachers provide me the opportunity, support and the sign language interpreters to ensure that I’m able to get the same information as a hearing person.

As for sports, the coaches and my teammates make the effort to get my attention when giving out instructions. I do miss some things, such as cheers and advice from the sidelines, but that can’t always be prevented. I also read lips, so if I’m close enough I can get information this way. I try to face and deal with challenges as they come up, so it is a different approach every time.

What other interests do you have?

I play football, but not competitively – just goofing around with friends. I like spending a lot of time with my friends and family because they’re special to me. One of my favorite hobbies is reading about, watching or doing anything related to the Minnesota Vikings. I also like to draw whenever and whatever I can – cartoons or real-life figures.

I also teach a Bible school class called IAS (I Am Special). I teach 4-year-olds about religion while their parents are attending mass. And I’m an assistant coach for a fifth- and sixth-grade basketball team.

Do you have any advice for others who might face similar challenges?

All I really have to say is that if you’re worried what others might think of you, don’t be. Do what you want to do and just have fun with it. I’ve always liked the saying, “It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose; it’s how you play the game.” Just try your hardest, give that 110 percent, and do the best you can do.

What are your plans and goals for the future?

I plan on going to a four-year college, but I have not decided on a career path. There’s a broad range of things in agriculture that may interest me, such as landscape/turf management. I also am interested in possibly becoming a sportswriter, maybe for a magazine or a newspaper.

Story by Chris Hayhurst

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