Area Youths Running for FFA Office
Published: Friday, June 5, 2026
Inspired by two previous state officers, Khloe Hinojosa of Warsaw and Hayden Stookey of Milford decided early on in their FFA aspirations to run for the highest leadership positions in the Indiana FFA program. Now among 18 state officer candidates, the two are entering final selection rounds on June 13 prior to the official installation on June 18 during the Indiana FFA State Convention in Noblesville.
Hinojosa, 19, of Warsaw started her FFA career in the eighth grade after her best friend, Makayla Riley, convinced her to attend a meeting. Although Hinojosa had no background in agriculture, friendship kept bringing her back. That same year, Hinojosa and her team won the state forestry contest, and she was hooked.
Fast forward to her sophomore year in high school, and an encounter with then-state officer Carson Rudd encouraged Hinojosa to aim high. She said Rudd made her feel heard and helped her find her voice. He encouraged her to pursue leadership opportunities, so she set her sights high, aiming for a position in state office.
"I was one of those kids who was shy and overlooked and never had a voice, and I realized there's a lot of those kids in FFA," she said. "I want to help those kids. Carson helped me. I want to be the one to help those kids who don't have a voice who don't know their place in FFA."
Hayden Stookey, 18, of Milford decided he wanted to be a state officer before he even joined the FFA.
Mallarie Stookey, Hayden's cousin, was the Indiana FFA state treasurer in 2012-13, and he said her retiring address inspired him to have the same impact on others as she did.
"I didn't really know what the words meant, but I knew that they were very heavy. So, sitting in that Elliot Hall of Music at Purdue University, I watched her give her speech, and I saw the crowd just light up," he said.
That was the moment he knew he had to get into the FFA.
"Ever since then I've kind of known that I want to do that; I want to get up on stage and share a message that is so unique to me that it will hopefully impact at least one person," he said.
Over the past couple of months, Hinojosa and Stookey have been attending several different training sessions with the other candidates, learning more about the role of state leadership.
One of the things Hinojosa loves most about FFA is seeing younger members thrive. Now, it is her goal to utilize all her training to do that on a state level.
"I hope to lead the organization with passion, and I hope to reach those kids who don't have their voice yet," she said.
She also hopes to grow in her own leadership skills.
"It's about advocating for agriculture and our members," Hinojosa said. "It's about taking leadership roles and being held to a higher standard."
"I feel like I've grown a lot in my time in the jacket, so I want to be able to give other members the same opportunity," Stookey said. "I want to be able to serve them, the 14,000 members of the state. To be able to serve them would be a great honor to me."
If elected to the officer team, Stookey would work with committees on the future direction of the FFA, opportunities to open to FFA members across the nation, partnerships to make and vote on essential matters for the national organization.
Stookey said a top priority is promoting opportunities through FFA, educating others on the possibilities and better connecting with members.
This year, Stookey competed in the Unified Meat, Milk and Livestock Contest for the first time. In this, he partnered with a special needs youth, and learn more about the livestock industry together.
"Opportunities like that, some people don't know that they're even out there, and, yet, being able to open that up to members that don't know about that, being able to open that up to chapters that don't know about it– that would be really cool," Stookey said.
Although positions are appointed by the FFA State Officer Selection Committee, Hinojosa and Stookey were both asked which offices they felt would best match their skills and experiences.
While both Hinojosa and Stookey said they would work well in any position of state office, they were both asked to choose one office they thought was the best fit for them.
"I would choose reporter," Hinojosa said.
The office is one she is familiar with, as she is currently serving in that position for both the District 2 Chapter and the Warsaw FFA Chapter. She said she enjoys capturing behind-the-scenes action and special moments.
"It's capturing the moment, but it's capturing the people and the excitement and the memories behind the moments that really gets me excited," she said.
She also said she is creative when it comes to using social media, so she believes her skills would be put to good use in that area.
"I think that the positions of more leadership kind of suit me," Stookey said. "I'm kind of looking for the vice president/president positions. If I were to be able to be in those positions of leadership, to be able to serve on the board of trustees, speak with the advisors that lead our state, that would be a really cool opportunity for me, and I'd not only be able to be a voice for not only Indiana FFA, but for the state officer team as well."
Currently, Stookey serves as president of both the Tippecanoe Valley FFA Chapter and District 2 leadership team.
When asked what their message to other FFA students is now, both Hinojosa and Stookey would encourage members to be present in the moment.
"Take in the moments and don't be afraid to say yes to any opportunity. It will be impactful. I can't promise whether it's going to be a positive or negative impact, but it will make you a better leader than you are right now," Hinojosa said. "These things that you do right now are going to impact you for the rest of your life, and they shape you into the person you are. But don't be afraid to go into the unknown and to be uncomfortable in small moments, because those will be the moments that you'll remember forever."
"Over the past two years of serving as a district officer—last year I was treasurer, this year I am president—I've really set my mindset to one phrase, 'love the toil,'" Stookey said. "It comes from my favorite book of the Bible, Ecclesiastes, and it essentially means that no matter what's happening, I need to make sure that I'm loving it with all my heart."
He said that while time in the FFA comes to an end for all members eventually, no matter what happens, it will have a long-lasting impact on them, building up character.
Hinojosa's plans for her future include studying elementary education and Christian ministry and then teach elementary students. Her end goal, she said, is to become a principal at a Christian school.
"I really love working with kids and I love being a leader and that role model for people," she said.
Stookey is the son of J.W. and Jeannette Stookey and has one sister, a twin, named Hailey. He plans to attend Oklahoma State University to study agricultural education with a minor in political sciences. His goal is to be an agriculture teacher and possibly work within the agricultural policy sector.
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