Aaron Alejandro

It’s 3:16 … hoping other Christians will join me in sharing John 3:16. A simple verse with a powerful message … one I’m grateful for. Make your own sign, or 3:16 message and let’s share the Hope, Reconciliation, Faith, and Love.

Ever going through old files and run across some fond memories? Too good not to share.

Always on the lookout for a good quote or thought that just makes you go “wow” … that was good. This one is very humbling. Hebrews 6:6 … does He still feel the nails …

The Alamo fell on March 6, 1836, following a 13-day siege by Mexican forces led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna. The final pre-dawn assault lasted 90 minutes, resulting in the deaths of nearly all 200-plus Texian defenders, including Davy Crockett, James Bowie, and William B. Travis. The final, desperate resistance took place within the church/chapel, where Mexican troops forced their way in. The battle marked a crucial moment in the Texas Revolution, transforming a military defeat into a symbol of heroic resistance.

Respect … Remembering … 9 YEARS AGO TODAY ... let's honor them by taking a moment to share their story. 9 years ago on this date, fires were moving through the Texas panhandle. It was Monday, March 6, 2017, and Cody Crockett, Sydney Wallace, and Sloan Everett set out to ensure the safety of cattle on the Franklin Ranch. In high school, Cody was voted the most handsome and well dressed. Sydney's friends said she looked like Taylor Swift. Sloan had boyish looks and he and his wife Liesl were devout Christians. On this Monday ... everything changed. Against all odds, Cody, Sydney, and Sloan saved the cattle. "Cowboys with Wings" ... they risked everything to do what they loved side by side with friends ... living a ranching lifestyle and caring for the animals in their care. Across our country we deal with wildfires - some better than others - but either way ... they are devastating. When wildfires are in the news, I think of Cody, Sydney, Sloan, farmers, ranchers, and communities who will have to find resilience in the face of adversity / tragedy. When you have some time today, take a break, grab a tissue, and read their incredible story. I am honored to know some of the families involved and share their story of love and loss so we never forget their enduring legacy. Love and Loss on the Great Plains - The day the fire came to the Franklin Ranch texasmonthly.com/being-texan/da… Godspeed to the Crockett, Wallace, and Everett families ... we remember and honor their precious lives and the incredible memories they have shared with us.

I’m always on the lookout for a good quote. My friend Todd Kercheval spoke at the Texas FFA Day in the Capitol / Legislative LEAD Experience this past week. This quote caught my attention and definitely one worth sharing. If you’ve got a dream … chase it … but along the journey … continue to chase the leadership skills to make dreams come true.

A goal is a target that beckons … time to move.

15 Ways To Balance Mission Impact And Fair Compensation hubs.li/Q045g3Bl0 from @kimberlylewis5 @Ekramy_Elzaghat @wheelermission @icfhq @fndmidsouth @Aaron_Alejandro @LibsCaj @Drjameerodgers @mrbellavia @eduflack and more

How Nonprofits Can Balance Technology Adoption With Donor Trust hubs.li/Q0452Rq50 from @Drjameerodgers @mrbellavia @eduflack @Aaron_Alejandro @wheelermission @AMDougherty @erinmote @Ekramy_Elzaghat @lifescholarzyj @spurlocal and more

We had a great 2026 Texas FFA Day in the Capitol / Legislative LEAD Experience. Want to know what the future is ... grow it!

National FFA Week 2026 ... that's a wrap. If you're a current FFA member ... LIVE YOUR BRAND! If you're agricultural science teacher ... LIVE YOUR BRAND! If you're a sponsor ... "thank you" ... LIVE YOUR BRAND and we appreciate you supporting our brand ... LEAD On! If you're a former member ... LIVE YOUR BRAND so others can see your FFA example.

National FFA Week ... wear blue today.

Installment #2 of National FFA Week - SAE Sunday Here’s video about my FFA / SAE Experiences. For those not familiar with SAEs, here is some supporting information. SAE Sunday SAE stands for Supervised Agricultural Experience in the FFA. It is a required, student-led, and instructor-supervised project that allows members to apply classroom knowledge to real-world agricultural scenarios, such as running a business, working for a company, or conducting research. Key aspects of an SAE include: • Purpose: To gain hands-on, practical experience and develop career skills outside of scheduled class time. • Types: Common types include Entrepreneurship/Ownership, Placement, Research, School-Based Enterprise, Service-Learning, and Exploratory. • Requirement: It is a foundational component of the Agricultural Education model for every FFA member. Traditional FFA Projects • Pigs (Mr. York and Mr. Holmes) - York - Several crosses - Hamp - Reserve Breed Champion – Poland at FWSSR • Suffolk sheep • Steers (Mr. Moore and Mr. Middleton) - Limousin - Hereford • Commercial pen of steers - Feedlot pre-lab course Jobs at BR • Irrigation (Mr. Novak / Mr. Ford) • Greenhouse • Hog Farm - Farrowing house (25 crates and had to sit outside English class) - 110 sows - 10 breeding boars - Grower pens / barns - Slabs finished before slaughter • Processing Plant - Milk, Juice, Syrup, Honey • Feedlot • Alfalfa Hay - 50,000 bales stored • Slaughterhouse / Meat Processing - 5 beef / week - 10 hogs / week Other • Mr Hickerson – ag mech and only time cracked a book in an agricultural class … so much was hands on • Rodeo – (team roping) - Mr. Ed Guyer - Catch 10 times - No saddles to fit me - Small Shetland horse / quarter horse cross - First catch … drug through the dirt youtu.be/-QVD6-3M9bM?si…

Here we go ... it's National FFA Week 2026. Gonna start off with a little "FFA Experience" overview which includes my retiring address as State FFA President in 1986. I expressed some ideas, emotions, and passion then that are just as relevant today. I know God had a path and purpose for my life ... honored it was for me to experience the FFA and make doors bigger (more opportunities, scholarships, and leadership development) for those who will follow in my footsteps ... grab a hammer and nails ... get involved and let's build even MORE and BIGGER opportunities for FFA members / agricultural science teachers for the next 100-yrs.    National FFA Week is held from February 21–28, 2026. Here's what you may see across social media this week.  • Sunday: SAE Sunday • Monday: Service and Advocacy Day • Tuesday: Alumni Day • Wednesday: Ag Teacher Appreciation Day • Thursday: Give FFA Day • Friday: National Wear Blue Day • Saturday: Wrap Up FFA Week ... reflect ... share ... support ... empower ... equip ... encourage. The essence of leadership is to plant trees under whose shade you may never sit. youtu.be/FxoOAZB41Ls?si…

We all have a mother. We all have stories about mothers … some good … some bad. Here’s the story of a mother’s pray … worth sharing … and maybe worth the read. My mom and dad divorced when I was 6-yrs old. I came home from a soccer game when I was 10-yr old and my mom said, “We need to talk. Your father has passed away.” I’m now without a dad. Big age gap with my mom and I because I born 19 years after my sister. Additionally, she was from rural Louisiana and she’s trying to raise in me Dallas. I began to rebel and my mom was struggling with work and trying to find the means (finances) to provide food, clothing, and shelter. I remember coming home around 11-yrs old and my mom’s car was home … she shouldn’t have been home. I walked into the house and made my way to her bedroom. The door was cracked and I could hear on the other side one of the saddest sounds I’ve ever heard. I opened the door to find my mom and foot of her bed on her knees crying / wailing prayers to heaven, Jesus, and God … with tears flowing down her cheeks, she was crying out to God to bring us something to eat, for someone to come by and check on us, for anyone to bring us something. I remember at the time that I didn’t understand … I simply said, “It’s going to be alright.” As her prayers for food and means continued, I remember her next words … “Lord, please just provide my son with an opportunity.” I continued to be a disrespectful little turd, running with the wrong crowd and causing my mom even more stress and heartache that she did not deserve. She tried the church, Big Brothers & Big Sisters, nothing was working so on September 6, 1980 she placed me at Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch. There I met my dorm parent Mr. Chandler and he put me in classes and with no choice put me in agricultural science classes … I paid my dues, and I became a member of the FFA. I soon found a place and the elusive “opportunity” … it was in the blue & gold FFA jacket. My path took me to the top of the state’s association … I became the Texas FFA President. Because of my time in the FFA jacket, my life’s course was forever changed … one opportunity began to give way to many more. Opportunities that have taken me coast to coast and the chance to help grow the organization to levels many never thought possible. My mom’s prayer in 1978 touched not only my future but the lives of so many others … a mother’s prayer for her son to have something better. Camille Alejandro (February 15, 1925 – September 6, 2017) Today, my mom would have been 101-yrs old. I got to be by her side on Wednesday, September 6, 2017. She was there for my “inhale” and I was there for her “exhale.” I had the chance to say “thank you,” “I’m sorry,” and “I love you.” Mothers are the Keepers of the Springs. Here’s a few things she has done for me … things I see Rebecca doing for our family. - Took me to church - Taught me to memorize scriptures (first one was John 3:16) - Love - Be nice - Prayed for me … pray for your children … Protection for me … Opportunities for me - Counted my toes and fingers the day I was born and for each she prayed for the opportunities she wanted bestowed / afforded to me. - Prayed through her pain - Celebrated an answered prayer and had the chance to see me be challenged and succeed Remembering my mom today on her heavenly birthday. My words that last day hold true today … “thank you” … “I’m sorry” … “I love you” … you touched the future through your precious, painful, and unselfish prayer. Keeper of the springs waterfromrock.org/2015/10/12/kee…. (Bo … thanks for a beautiful song.)

Nonprofit Leaders How To Stay On Mission During Organizational Stress hubs.li/Q0429Hlz0 from @wheelermission @Aaron_Alejandro @ScottVDolan @Dr_CLWashington @eduflack @LibsCaj @lifescholarzyj @NancyPadberg @Drjameerodgers @mrbellavia @cherian_koshy and more

Another trip around the sun …   1Start each day being grateful. 2Pray 3Remember who makes your heart beat … you’re here and you have purpose … live it. 4You were created for greatness. 5Find your “why” and let it be a target that beckons. 6Drink water.  Sleep good. Don’t use snooze alarms. 7Don’t let the status quo creep into your life … pursue excellence. 8It’s okay to win (thank you, GW) 9Remember that leadership is situational (autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire) … pay attention and use the right one. 10Know where your food comes from and appreciate those who raise and grow it. 11Tell the truth … you won’t have to remember what you said if asked. 12Be careful comparing … especially yourself. 13Be genuine and authentic ... live your brand. 14Be aware of energy vampires … don’t let them steal your joy. 15Take calculated risk. 16Dream big and pursue your dreams … if not, be content living someone else’s. 17Don’t sweat the small stuff … almost everything is small stuff. 18Go see things.  Get into nature and spend some green time and then share it on screen time. 19When your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt. 20Be crafty.  Know how to sew a button, change a tire, start a fire, or better yet … save a life. 21Have a hobby … then relax and enjoy it. 22Say “THANK YOU.”  Remember the rule … say “thank you” 7 times.  23Be genuinely happy for the success of others. 24Fail, forgive, and achieve … learn from each. 25It’s never too late to do the right thing. 26It’s okay to start over. 27Move, be active, and stay involved … it will help keep your mind, body, and soul sharp. 28Words are free … something nice to someone every day. 29Love your mom and dad … because one day you won’t be able to. 30Be discerning … this includes what you hear, see, or encounter on social media … also be discerning with what you share. 31Have friends, make friends, and cherish the relationships with others … and … you can’t make old friends. 32Everyone has a story … God has given you one … one day someone else will need to lean on your journey. 33Cry when you need to … it’s okay. 34You can only spend time … be aware of how you’re spending it. 35Today is a gift … open it, navigate it, learn from it, and most importantly … enjoy it. 36Persistence breaks resistance. 37Consistency creates credibility. 38If you live by people’s praise, you’ll die by their criticism. 39Remember, when you’re throwing mud … you’re losing ground. 40Be coachable. 41Help without being asked. 42Healing or growth are not linear. 43When you’re green you grow … when you ripe you rot.  Keep growing. 44Slow down.  Take deep breaths … hold them … let them out slow … repeat. 45Listen to good music … you choose. 46Take lots of pictures … one day it may be all you have. 47You control “the bar.”  You can raise it or lower it … reduce stress. 48Positive attitudes create positive results. 49The most important story we tell is the one we tell ourselves. 50Don’t be bored … find something positive to do. 51Money can buy a lot of things … but it can’t buy you class.  Be humble, respectful, and kind. 52Ask lots of questions.  Remember the root word of “question” is “quest” … go on an adventure. 53The essence of leadership is to plant trees under whose shade you may never sit.  Plant seeds of greatness for those who will follow in our footsteps. 54When your values are clear … your choices are easy. 55Do two things nice for someone every day … if anyone finds out about either thing … that one didn’t count. 56Create your own personal board of directors … folks that will make you better. 57Remember it is not “what” is your legacy … but rather “who” is your legacy. 58Live and leave a legacy by design … not default. 59Life is a breath … it starts with an inhale and ends with an exhale … know where you’re going when you exhale the last time.

Nonprofit Leaders: How To Stay On Mission During Organizational Stress In a nonprofit agency, organizational stress in the form of limited resources, growing community needs and constant external challenges can pull the staff’s attention away from the underlying mission. When the pressure mounts, even well-run organizations can struggle to stay focused, aligned and effective. Rather than letting those pressures derail their work, many nonprofit leaders intentionally return to the mission as a stabilizing force. Below, members of Forbes Nonprofit Council share the strategies they use to sustain mission focus while managing organizational stress. #8 Center Your ‘Why’ Make your personal, professional and organizational “why” bigger than any distraction. Stress is a real emotion that follows us from jobs, homes, social circles and even communities. Our “why” has to be bigger than those stresses. If not, the stress can and will consume. Look for reminders of why your nonprofit’s mission makes a positive difference and drive in that direction. - Aaron Alejandro, Texas FFA Foundation @Forbes @ForbesCouncils @ForbesNonprofit @Aaron_Alejandro @TX_FFA_Fdn #leadershipdevelopment #agriculture #education #stem #FFATODAY #mytexasffa forbes.com/councils/forbe…

Watching all the post from the Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo brings back a lot of fond memories.   When I was a FFA member at Boys Ranch, I remember we stayed in the dorms over the swine barn - very cold ... the weather almost everyone who shows at Ft. Worth experiences. I had a pig on the verge of not making weight who went on to become a reserve breed champion Poland in 1983.   Some of the greatest memories in the FFA never happened “on a big stage” or with an award ... they happened in a moment.  Will never forget my week working the Children’s Barnyard in 1986 ... we had a couple of days with visitors that touched our hearts.   It was a full circle moment when my kids started raising / showing animals.  Goats, pigs, and heifers allowed us to go and experience the FWSSR as a family.  We even had a few breaks in the schedule where we could go and enjoy the midway, some fair food, and good laughs.   In 2017, I was honored to share the podium with then Chancellor of the Texas A&M University system John Sharp at the Livestock Appreciation Day Luncheon.  Mr. Ed Bass, who was Chairman of the Ft Worth Stock Show, also made me an "Honorary Chairman" of the Stock Show.  I was very proud to represent the Texas FFA at the luncheon.   "Thank You" to all who make this show such a wonderful experience ... the FWSSR and the Ft. Worth Stock Show Syndicate.  As a former exhibitor, parent of an exhibitor, and now supporter, we appreciate you encouraging, equipping, and empowering our kids for success.  One day, they will enjoy watching all the post on social media and fond memories of the FWSSR.   Grow the future ....   #FWSSR #FWSSR2026 #FortWorthStockShow #ThisThingIsLegendar #AlwaysAPerfectFit #FortWorthTX

12 Ways Nonprofits Can Set Ambitious But Achievable Fundraising Goals hubs.li/Q040NnrR0 from @hopeforukraine @Ekramy_Elzaghat @cherian_koshy @Aaron_Alejandro @mrbellavia @eduflack @fndmidsouth and more