Leading with a Servant Heart: Addison Patnode

Addison Patnode – Texas

Nomination by Cheyenne Patnode

Photography by Olivia Henry Photography

Issue 93 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Nomination: Addison Patnode is an incredible young lady and such an inspiration to many. She excels in school and loves Jesus. She is actively involved in her church, FFA and community. She has such a servant heart and always willing to help. She not only excels academically but has shown great social and leadership skills that are an asset in every area of life.

Photography by Olivia Henry Photography

How has your faith influenced the way you lead or support others in your community and school?

My Faith has taught me to be a leader because we are called to imitate Christ. Although we aren’t and never will be perfect, we are supposed to act like him. Being in Faith trying to be a leader supporting the community falls mostly into character on the days that it is the hardest. Whenever I am tired, worn out, left with no energy I have to still be the Christ like example I was made to be, which is how my faith influenced the way I have become a leader.

Can you share a specific moment when your desire to help others truly made an impact on someone’s life?

I had a friend that was in a very dark spot in life at that time. I had noticed it and I reached out to him. I was just talking to him trying to make sure he was okay and after a couple weeks he started slowly losing the battle again. After a couple months he eventually came back around worse than he was before and came asking me for advice on how to get out of the dark spot. After a sleepless night of talking to him and praying for him, he made a change for the better.

What advice would you give to someone who’s struggling to see their own value or purpose?

I would advise them to keep their head up and keep walking. Figure out what they want and put blinders on. Don’t listen to the people trying to come in from the sides. If they are struggling to find their purpose or value I would say that it might not come right away but you will find it. It may not be clear right now but every storm will lift and the sun will shine down again. You will be able to see the path of where to go. Until then, you have to keep walking through the storm.

How has being involved in FFA helped shape your future goals or career interests?

Being in FFA helped to shape me into who I am now. On the path of career goals though it has helped shape me on that road too. I used to have bad social anxiety and wasn't able to talk publicly without freaking out. FFA has helped teach me how to control the worry and become a better public speaker. Now when I think of my career, the publicity part isn't as scary.

 Tell us about a time when you faced failure or disappointment—how did your mindset or faith help you get through it?

To me being a servant leader means to always put others needs before your own. By putting that into action in daily life, there are so many benefits from it. Most people think it's just giving up your seat for someone, but it could be as simple as a smile to someone who needs it even when you don't feel like it just to make their day better. For years no one could figure out what was wrong with my knee. I had to keep a positive mindset after each bad result, knowing and hoping they would figure it out.

Who has been one of the biggest inspirations in your life, and what have they taught you?

One of the biggest inspirations in my life would be my best friend, Sienna. She is the type of person everyone needs in their life. She has taught me so many things in life but the one i carry around with me the most is how to not give up when times get tough. She showed me that you can make it through and still have a smile on your face. She truly has inspired me in so many more ways than one and taught me so many things I couldn't even count them.

If you could create a project or event to bring your community together, what would it be and why?

If I could make an event to bring the community together it would be a pet parade. I would get the shelters involved and have some of the puppies out during the parade so that even if some people don't have an animal they could walk an adoptable puppy through the parade. This would bring people together because even if they don't have a pet, pet lovers would still come to watch the parade. It would be an opportunity to just bring the community together over something that wouldn’t cause any arguments or anything. Just peaceful, fun, and paws.

How do you balance school, faith, leadership roles, and helping others without burning out?

How I have managed to balance all these things without burning out is by using night time as a chance to reset. I let it all go and I don't carry anything bad from the day before into the next day. I've noticed when I carry it to the next day, it makes me burn out faster. Every night I open up my bible, play music and just use that as my reset. I pray about the things I struggled with from the previous day and ask for strength to handle them better the next day.

What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you that contributes to who you are today?

Something most people don't expect about me is that I love being outdoors. I love hunting and fishing and am pretty active in the ag classes with woodworking and welding. Even though it shocks some people, it has taught me that not everything works the way you think it would and sometimes you have to change plans. That doesn't mean you can give up. These things have taught me patience, a skill of working around the problem and figuring out solutions instead of giving up.

What legacy or message do you hope to leave behind for younger students or peers looking up to you?

The message I want to leave behind when I'm gone is to just be a good human. Whenever people think of me I hope they think of me as someone who tried to see the good in everyone. I truly do believe there is good inside of everyone, even the ones who try and hide it. I hope my legacy inspires people to always try and be the reason someone smiles that day no matter how bad of a day they had. To just make sure everyone feels and knows they are loved by many.

How do you continue to grow your leadership skills, and what are you currently working on improving?

I continue to grow my leadership skills by working in the nursery at my church. The kids are the future and if you allow them to grow up learning the right way they'll already know it when they need it. I am currently working on trying to spread the good word. As I continue to try to improve myself, I am teaching the future of us, the youth. Teaching them how to be leaders and learning ways that they can put themselves out there. To use their talents and find their purpose.

What inspiring things about you does your nomination not cover?

In the world we live in today, it is hard to get by, day after day, while also trying to keep your head above water. Sometimes I feel like I'm not inspiring or there is more that I could be doing for people. These days are when I have to remind myself that no one is perfect. We will all mess up it's just a matter of how you handle failure. Something inspiring about me is how I want to watch everyone succeed, I strive to help everyone and be the person there during a time of need.

What else would you like to talk about?

I am actively involved in FFA at Windthorst High school and it is something that has taught me numerous lessons in life. It has brought me out of my shell, taught me how to be a leader in tough times, gave me lifelong friendships, and memories I will cherish forever.

What do you feel passionate about or could talk about forever?

The thing I feel most passionate about is my faith. If you were to ask me about that I could go on and on and never run out of things to share. My faith is something I feel as if it has saved me many times whenever everything started to get hard. Beng passionate about my faith has helped me not only to get through things that seemed impossible but has helped me to find a purpose and find a meaning to life that I wasn't sure I had before.

How did you find your photographer and what did you love most about the experience?

My photographer is Olivia Henry, and she truly is amazing. I found her because one of my good friends was involved with her and she would always tell me stories from her shoots with Olivia. To say the least, my experience was nothing short of amazing. What I love most about Olivia is how she always finds a way to bring light into the shoot and always makes me feel comfortable in front of a camera.

Are you a part of a model team with your photographer, and if so, tell us about it.

Yes, I am on the team with my photographer, Olivia Henry, and the team is amazing. All the girls are able to make each other feel confident and comfortable in front of the camera.

What is a favorite memory with or thoughts of the person who nominated you?

My mom was the one who nominated me for inspiring teens. Although I have many memories to pick from my favorite is going to have to be when we went to Alabama for this HUGE outdoor concert. Even though it was humid and we were sweating through our clothes it was still one of the most memorable moments of my life.

Why do you want to be in Inspiring Teens Magazine?

I think it would really help to not only inspire myself but share my story and inspire others in a way that I haven't ever been able to before.

If you win a scholarship, what will you do with the money?

If I were to win a Scholarship, I would put the money to further my education by attending veterinary school.

What is your ideal dream job if it were offered to you today?

My ideal dream job is to become an Equine Veterinarian.

Is there anyone you'd like to thank for helping you to get where you are today?

Someone I would like to thank for helping me get to where I am today is my Grandpa. He has been there for me when it felt like I had no one else. He is someone who sits there and listens. Even if what I tell him wasn't probably the best decision, he still never makes me feel judged.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

One other thing I'd like to talk about is an event called BCV (Big Country Veterans). It is an event supporting veterans and helping to remind them there are so many people to support them. This event has become a huge part of my life because getting to meet and talk to some of these veterans will truly further your appreciation for the sacrifice these individuals make on the daily.

If you had nothing to do and all day to do it, where would we find you?

If I had nothing to do all day you would probably find me in my room curled up in a blanket binge-watching my favorite show.

What is up next for you that you are super excited about?

My friends and I are in Ag Mech at our school and are about to start making our project for the county show coming up.

What is the hardest thing you have ever accomplished, and how did you do it?

One of the hardest things I've ever accomplished was trying to re-learn how to walk after a major knee surgery. I did it by staying positive and knowing I could do it if I just didn't give up.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be where you are today?

The advice I would give is to surround yourself with people who will encourage you and help you to stay positive even on the days that seem hard.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years/what are your plans?

In 5 years I hope to be attending college starting my path to becoming a vet.

What is your favorite activity or pastime that was not in your nomination?

My favorite activity has got to be growing flowers or just plants in general. The joy it brings when the seeds start to sprout is unmatched.

Do you have a hidden talent? What is it?

My hidden talent would have to be math. Math has always been my strong suit in school and I guess I could consider myself lucky for that one.

3 Things on your bucket list

Three things that are at the top of my bucket list are swimming with whale sharks, visiting all 50 of the states, and going to Africa.

Who do you find inspiring?

I find my parents inspiring because they always put my needs before their own.

What about you inspires others/why do you think you are inspiring?

The thing that I think is most inspiring about me is how I can always have a smile on my face no matter the circumstance.

Look for Addison in issue 93 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!

*Interviews are not edited after received from our inspiring teens - what you read is who they genuinely are!

Read Addison's article about joining the FFA HERE