As she zips up her blue corduroy Future Farmers of America (FFA) jacket, she takes a deep breath reminding herself of all the preparation and hard work that’s led up to this moment. The usher calls her name, she steps forward, ready to ignite a fire in the hearts of her audience for the next 13 minutes.
Preslei Ward, now former College Station High School FFA Chapter President, was diagnosed with connective tissue disorder after moving to Texas three years ago. This disorder is characterized by diseases that negatively affect the body’s connective tissues, which connect and provide support for the entire body.
“It changed my path big time,” Ward said. “As a kid I was a really competitive athlete, participating in sports for as long as I could remember.”
Just as she had done repeatedly on the court, sometimes in life you must pivot and that is exactly what she did.
“That’s when I got into FFA,” Ward said. “I filled the void of all the different sports I did, and was now unable to do, with as many FFA contests as possible.”
She brought that same competitive edge and internal grit to FFA, working just as hard to excel as if it was a sport of her own.
“I applied that same sport work ethic of ‘just keep training’ and ‘just keep practicing’ to my FFA endeavors,” she said. “Just like in sports, I wasn’t done until I had that state championship.”
Although she was involved in various career and leadership development events during her time in Texas, there was one special event she had an internal calling for.
The Senior Prepared Public Speaking contest is a speaking development event in which students are required to write and deliver a six-to-eight-minute speech about a current agricultural topic of their choice. From there, they are graded based on the written content of the speech, presentation and delivery, as well as their answers to the judges’ questions.
This past June, Ward earned fifth place at the Texas FFA State competition for her speech in the natural resources division. In her speech, Ward highlights the world’s war on water, defining three different stages of the crisis: realization, preservation and desperation.

Bridging the gap
Throughout her speech, Ward refers to this water crisis as an impending war on water. But this war is different; according to her this war is one amongst ourselves.
“I think on one side there’s people who are informed and aware that water is being depleted very quickly, and on the other side there’s people who are unaware,” she said. “I don’t think we are necessarily against each other, but we need to educate others if we are on that side that is aware.”
Ward values outreach and engagement to raise water awareness, recognizing them as essential steps to solving the disconnect.
“The Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District goes into elementary and middle schools educating kids about water, water usage and its potential for depletion,” she said. “But there is not much outreach beyond that for adults or even college students in the area.”
Ward encourages agriculturalists to use social media to highlight the growing issue and stresses the importance of government and city official involvement.
“I believe voting for leaders in our areas who are prioritizing water conservation and preservation is an effective way to bridge the gap,” Ward said.
Lessons to be learned
While deepening her understanding of such complex agricultural issues like water was important, Ward also values the less obvious benefits of the experience.
“I think I learned a lot of lessons from it all, but being able to expand my circle and make connections in an industry that I want to be a part of was the biggest,” she said. “I think networking and being able to develop the skills to do that is crucial.”
Throughout the preparation process of her speech, Ward visited organizations such as Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District, Texas Water Development Board, Lower Colorado River Authority and a number of local government agencies. These experiences not only helped her gather valuable information but also allowed her to connect with industry leaders in the field she hopes to enter.
“I was able to network and build connections for my future profession,” she said. “A lot of them mentioned internships that they offer, and so I would like to do an internship in college with a water board specifically.”
While this competition has presented her with a plethora of opportunities, such as scholarships, internships and the ability to network, it has also provided her with the understanding that personal effort and commitment truly do lead to success.
“You only get out the effort you put in,” she said. “And I think that is true for any aspect of life—however much effort you put into something, you are not ever going to get more out of it than the effort you originally put in.”

Staying the course
Although her time in FFA has come to an end upon her graduation in May, Ward will be continuing her commitment to excellence at Texas A&M University as an Agricultural Business major within the Department of Agricultural Economics, taking advantage of the opportunities the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has to offer.
“I plan to be involved with Aggie Reps,” she said. “I have also looked into doing the Agricultural and Natural Resources Public Policy Internship Program (ANRP).”
After completing her undergraduate studies, Ward plans to further her education and attend law school, hoping to continue her mission of raising awareness for water and pushing for impactful water policies.
“I would love to go to law school one day and focus on public policy,” she said. “And I believe water fits into that perfectly.”