Goal Setting, Career Exploration, Friends & Fun at 2024 Farmers Union Camp Leadership Camp

By Lura Roti for South Dakota Farmers Union

Choose your friends carefully, Coach Kush told campers during 2024 Farmers Union State Leadership Camp. “Who you hang out with determines who you will become. Respect everyone, but only spend time with those who have goals and aspirations.”

Campers connected to the messages shared by the former Boys Town head football coach. And many felt the weeklong Farmers Union State Leadership Camp was just the place to connect with quality friends.

“Farmers Union camp is a great place to meet people and make friends I would not otherwise meet,” explained Lizzy Schoenfelder, a high school sophomore from Dimock.

Highmore-Harrold High School sophomore Mya McCloud agreed, adding, “Camp friends bring out the real me and I feel I can be myself around them.”

Kush gave campers the analogy of good friends being like sails and lifting you up, while bad friends have the opposite impact – weighing you down like an anchor.

He also shared tips for goal setting:

• Set two goals, one long-term, one short-term

• Think of two things that will help you accomplish each of those goals

• Post these goals in two places where you will see them often

Throughout his talk, Kush shared many stories from athletes he coached during his 20 years at Boys Town as well as his own son’s struggle with a football-related injury. The injury was severe enough that his son was not able to play sports. “Whenever you come across adversity, think ‘what an opportunity.’ Adversity is not fun, but don’t let it stop you from succeeding.”

Tips for goal setting and encouragement to find opportunity when faced with challenges resonated with camper Lorelei Ruhnke because she injured her knee during cross country and has not been able to rodeo this summer.

“I have set goals in the past, but I struggled with the follow-through. So, I am going to try just setting two. I am a person who needs goals because I struggle with self-motivation,” explained Ruhnke, a high school student from Pierre.

In addition to motivational speakers like Kush, during leadership camp, campers also learned from several agriculture professionals.

“We try to bring kids in from anywhere across the state just to educate them on leadership and agriculture,” explained Samantha Olson, SDFU Education Program Specialist. “It doesn’t matter where you come from, anything you do in life always relates back to the agricultural industry, and that’s why it’s important to be educated on it.”

Throughout the week, campers heard from an agriculture communications specialist, agronomist and food scientist.

“I love learning that in agriculture there is more than one career, with good pay that I could one day do,” said Ethan Mutter a freshman at Sturgis Brown High School.

Seventeen-year-old Faulkton farmer, Chase Melius agreed. “Hearing from ag professionals about what they do in their careers really opened up my mind to jobs we can do after high school,” said Melius, a senior at Faulkton Area High School.

Leadership in action

Chase also served on the Junior Advisory Council (JAC). He was elected by campers during 2023 Leadership Camp and worked alongside the other JACs to plan and facilitate the 2024 camp as well as serve as camp counselors.

Along with Melius, the 2023-2024 JACs elected by campers were: Madi Raymond and Sean Thompson. The JAC selected through an interview was Cadence Konechne. The 2024-2025 JACs elected by campers are Brooke LaMont, LizBeth Crosby, Billy Kezena and Cadence Konechne. Campers selected to serve as JACs through an interview were Julian Rodriguez and Chase Blotsky.

Mentoring the JACs throughout the camp planning process as well as helping them facilitate camp programming were Senior Advisory Council members Aeriel Eitreim and Chaz Blotsky. Both Eitreim and Blotsky grew up attending Farmers Union Camp and served as JACs. Both SACs recently completed their first year of college.

“I enjoyed taking a step back during camp and watching the JACs come into their leadership roles,” Eitreim said. “It is good to know that when I am not here, the next generation of leaders are here to make sure that what I love about Farmers Union Camp will continue.”

Eitreim said she loves camp traditions and the lifelong friends she has made. She also appreciates the leadership skills she gained as a camper and while serving as a JAC and SAC.

23-24 JAC Sean Thompson agreed. This summer Thompson will complete Basic Training for the Army National Guard.

“While serving as a JAC I gained organizational and time management skills – and I also learned how to persevere when plans change. This will all help when I am at Basic Training. I hope to become a Platoon Leader,” Thompson said.

Communication was among the leadership skills emphasized during camp, and taught through a fun, outdoor game. Campers broke into teams and were tasked with guiding a blindfolded teammate to a hidden flag.

One teammate could see the blindfolded camper and the flag, but they were only able to use hand gestures to communicate to another camper who could speak but not see the blindfolded camper or the flag.

“The blindfolded person really has to trust the person shouting directions, and the person shouting directions has to trust the person giving hand signals,” explained Allison Schulz, a sophomore at Lennox High School. “It all relates to the fact that in life we need work to communicate better, and listen to others because we all have important things to share.”

Confidence in themselves and the ability to meet new people is the number one leadership skill campers talk about. 2024 is the second year Riley Mutter has attended State Leadership Camp and the Sturgis Brown High School freshman credits his experiences at Farmers Union Camp with bolstering his confidence.

“Last year I was hiding in the corner during the dance, this year I was out in the middle dancing,” Mutter explained.

Next year, Mutter plans to attend Farmers Union Leadership Camp and he plans to interview to serve as a JAC. The 2024-2025 JACs will soon attend leadership training as they prepare for the upcoming Farmers Union Youth Leadership Camp held in late July. Registration is still open.