The beginning of April marked the end of a unique, rewarding, year-long chapter for two local young adults.

The 97th annual State FFA Leadership Conference that took place at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento from April 3 to 6 marked the final weekend of responsibilities for Turlock Christian’s John Dein, Hilmar’s Gianna Gonzalez and the other four members of the 2024-25 State FFA Officer cabinet, who have been the faces of FFA in the California.

In an event that featured a slew of keynote speakers that included state treasurer Fiona Ma and Miss USA Alma Cooper, as well as a special guest appearance from the Tik Tok-famous “Costco Guys,” Big Justice and AJ, it was the state officers that captivated the crowds of roughly 7,000 the most, as they gave heartfelt retirement addresses and performed an honorary passing down of jackets to the incoming officers.

For the past year, Dein served as the State FFA vice president while Gonzalez was the State FFA secretary. During their tenure, they hosted dozens of leadership conferences for FFA members (including the Advanced Leadership Conference), visited dozens of high schools throughout the state for development workshops, and toured a variety of agriculture facilities and learned of the different industries in the state.

State FFA Officers are elected annually by delegates from each FFA chapter in California. Each candidate goes through an extensive application process, which includes speeches and interviews, including answering questions from a panel at last year’s state conference. According to California Agricultural Education, the team’s purpose is to “inspire and lead their peers, shepherding the FFA component of the program.”

“What people don’t realize — including myself prior to the appointment — was that there is so much travel,” Dein said with a laugh. “We literally lived out of cars and hotels, and that quite honestly made us closer. 

“When I say we became family, I really mean that.”

As vice president, Dein presented at a number of conferences, trained regional officers, built relationships with students and chapter leaders, and (perhaps his favorite part), presented awards to chapters and members. 

Gonzalez also honed in on her public speaking and collaboration, while specific duties as secretary included managing the cabinet’s social media accounts and keeping official records, including those of the awards handed out during their term.

Gonzalez, known by the officers as the “mom” of the group and “the glue that holds things in place,” reflected on growth as a leader during her speech at the Saturday session. 

“My favorite part of my job as a state officer was meeting members from all over California and learning how they live in their own communities,” Gonzalez said. “Being able to travel across the entire state has taught me that every place is different, and everyone has something that is unique to their lives or communities.

“When you speak to members and they share little fun facts about their lives and their hometowns, you start to feel like you've been there before and it brings a comforting connection between you and the member. The members have made all the difference in my life this year and have taught me to be grateful for my community at home in Hilmar.”

Dein added that it was also somewhat emotional to hear the stories of FFA members, bond with them, then having to hit the road to their next destination.

“It was like a rollercoaster of emotions to be able to connect with students then have to say goodbye before you know it,” he said. “But that was many of the life lessons, and even though we may not see each for quite some time, or ever again, you take something from each of those people, whether it be lessons, different perspectives, all of that.”

A life lesson Gonzalez is taking away from the experience revolves around time management.

“This year taught me to be flexible when planning events or schedules,” she said. “You truly never know what could happen in your day. For example, the number of students could change in your workshop, or you could hit traffic on the way to an event, or you could be asked to give a couple remarks at an event without preparation, but no matter what, if you think on your feet and stay calm during stressful moments, it'll all be OK.”

She and Dein agreed that the experience taught them to step outside their bubbles, take risks in life and to never be afraid to try new things.

“This experience, and even before I took on this role, has taught me to take a chance on yourself, even when you doubt yourself or are about to take on something you’ve never done before,” Dein said. “A huge part of it is my faith in God that he has a plan.”

He also drew inspiration from former TC classmate Case DeJong, who ran for a state office position last year but fell just short.

“I saw Case apply for it and he didn’t get it, so there were times where I was doubting myself,” Dein said. “But he told me, ‘Don't close the door that God is trying to open for you.’ I found that interesting. He said a lot of growth happened in that process. Even though he didn't make it, he understood who he was. 

“I was like, ‘Okay, I'll give it a shot. I know I'm not going make it.’ But I ended up making it, and it was just one of those things, like, don't sell yourself short like you. You are so worthy of approval. You're worthy of being accepted for who you are. You are worthy of being supported by people. You are worthy of who you are meant to be. So now I have that mindset of trying anything that comes my way because there's no way to truly grow if you're not pushing it.”

It’s a message he shared with students during the group’s tour across the state, and one that many students thanked him for in the days following the conferences and the State Leadership Conference earlier this month.

“That showed me that being yourself can have a crazy impact on someone,” Dein said. “Using this platform for good can really have a chain reaction.”

The duo, who like all the other officers, had to delay their college education to be able to serve and represent the FFA at the state level.

Finally looking ahead to their post-high school plans, Gonzalez and Dein each hope to study and have a career in Agriculture Business.

Neither shared plans of a specific college or career preference. Dein, in fact, joked that he “hasn’t had the time to even think about that stuff yet with how busy we’ve been.”

Gonzalez believes that the past year has set the group up for success, regardless of where they go, what they pursue or where life ends up taking them.

“FFA prepares its members in leadership and career areas,” she said. “Public speaking, networking abilities, conflict management, and general knowledge of the agriculture industry are all skills I have developed and plan to use throughout my future career.”

On Sunday, attendees were welcomed with a special tribute to the state officers' parents. Parents were invited onstage and surprised with heartfelt video messages from their children, shown in both English and Spanish. In a touching tribute, these dedicated supporters were also awarded Honorary State FFA Degrees.

“An incredible moment,” Dein said of the ceremony.

Both Dein and Gonzalez gave an abundance of thanks to their families, friends, teachers, advisors and fellow FFA members for their supports.

The other state officers from the past year were President Camille Zavala of Kingsburg FFA, Treasurer Melissa Lua-Duarte of Santa Maria FFA, Reporter Carlos Nunez of Santa Maria FFA, and Sentinel Joshua Wolford of O'Neals Minarets FFA.

The 2025-2026 State FFA Officer team is made up of President Lily Vaughan of Oroville-Las Plumas FFA, Vice President Noah Stanisai of Temecula-Saint Jeanne Catholic FFA, Secretary Ryan Taylor of Kelseyville FFA, Treasurer Daren Deftereos of Hanford FFA, Reporter Tessa Camacho of O’Neals Minarets FFA, and Sentinel Sophia Camou of Bakersfield-Garces Memorial FFA.