Abigail Flores, the 17-year-old Alexander High School FFA president, overcame a lot of odds to become the strong leader she is today.
Initially her parents couldn’t understand why their 3-year-old was delayed with speech and walking. They enrolled her in special education classes at Borchers Elementary, where instructor Laura Otero worked closely with her using sign language.
“I started school in a special education classroom. I had some early developmental delays and couldn’t speak until I was 3 and couldn’t walk. I had a lot of problems with my ears … so they performed surgeries on my ears that allowed me balance,” Flores said. “I was 3 when I first started getting the surgeries and the last surgery I got was when I was 14.”
Today, she organizes district-wide activities such as cleanups at Lake Casa Blanca and is the treasurer for the South Texas Area Wintergarden Chapter. She is the first female from the district to serve in that role and the first from Alexander High School to serve as well.
And the little girl who once had trouble speaking is now known for her confidence, public-speaking abilities and networking skills. She also has a laser-like focus on accomplishing goals for her fellow members in FFA.
Her main goal in her service to thousands of FFA members is to raise awareness of all the great ideas coming out of FFA organizations in Laredo, Flores said during a recent interview alongside her trusted teacher and advisor, Kassandra Gonzalez, who has seen Flores blossom in her role in FFA.
“She is bright, and you can feel the charisma and feel the enthusiasm,” Gonzalez said. “She has so much passion and has wanted to generally learn about ag and .. it’s hard to find that needle in the haystack but she’s the one I found.”
Flores said she admires Gonzalez.
“She was so relatable and one of those cool teachers, and she pushed me beyond belief,” Flores said. The teenager added that when she has a goal, Gonzalez sits down with her and they map out a plan to accomplish it.
She said that she has suffered from anxiety in the past and Gonzalez has been by her side, working with her on speeches, for example.
“She really believes in me,” Flores said. Gonzalez said that when Flores gives a speech, “you can hear the passion.”
“You feel her authenticity in the presentation … she really has pushed beyond what the doctors may have told the parents … she has pushed herself so much and she has really grown, tremendously grown with the program,” Gonzalez said.
The other teacher and advisor in the program, Jorge Gutierrez, said he was so impressed with Flores and her other classmates that he delayed his retirement so it would coincide with when they graduate.
“Abby and this group of juniors are an exceptional group of FFA members. They have inspired me to become a better ag teacher because they have set the bar higher for themselves. Because of that, I promised them that I will retire the same year that they graduate from high school,” he stated.
The Alexander FFA program began in 2016 with 87 FFA members. Today, the membership is 324 FFA members, according to Gutierrez.
“We began simply by competing with only one or two teams in our competitions. Today, we have up to 19 teams competing in different events throughout the year. We have also grown where we take approximately 100 to 115 projects to our local livestock show, LIFE. To date, Abby is the president for the largest membership Alexander FFA has ever had,” Gutierrez said.
Students like Flores are battling the stereotype of FFA programs, he added.
“The stereotype of FFA programs is that you have to be a farmer or rancher to be in FFA,” Gutierrez said. “Fortunately, FFA and Agriculture Science Programs offer so much more. Many agricultural skills are taught in both the classroom and the shop. The biggest component of an FFA program is that it is an organization of leadership. (Abby) has demonstrated that leadership component of FFA by taking charge and leading her team of officers on many of our activities.”
Flores’ leadership is occurring against a backdrop of increasing female representation nationwide in an organization that has traditionally been male dominated.
According to the National FFA Organization, 44 percent of all FFA members identify as women. Females also hold approximately 50 percent of leadership positions across states. However, some states have very strong female leadership, according to agdaily.com.
At Alexander High School, the FFA program is made up of 58 percent females.
Flores, meanwhile, has big goals. She wants to be an Area 10 officer, helping to oversee 15,000 students in FFA. She also wants to continue serving as president of Alexander High School FFA.
“I love everything about the organizations, but the sense of community embedded in it is truly amazing. No matter what, I know that my teacher and friends that I’ve made through FFA will always support me. When it comes to what FFA has taught me, the list is endless. It's given me skills such as leadership, communication, and speaking skills that I will use throughout my life,” Flores said.
“When I first entered this program I was a bit timid and wasn't very outgoing but over time I've been able to gain confidence and step out of my comfort to grow. I hope to continue helping other members of our organization to experience the same thing I went through and help them gain the same love for FFA that I have.”
Flores says her long-term goal is to become a livestock veterinarian.
While many people have told Flores that her story is inspirational, she says that she considers her story one of determination.
“Personally, I don’t think about it as much and people say it is really inspirational but it’s my life and that’s how it has always been,” Flores said. “And it didn’t stop me, hold me back … and that’s a message for everyone and just because things happen, it shouldn’t hold you back from pursuing what you want to do.”
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