FarmHouse - Washington State University

FarmHouse Almanac p . 2 F or Adam Peterson '00, the path to Greek life was not as direct as it was for others. Unlike many brothers in his class, he joined during his sophomore year; his older brother, Colin Peterson '98, was already a member. "I was in the marching band, communication club, and other groups, but during my freshman year I found myself connecting more and more with my brother's fraternity friends," Adam explained. Today, Adam feels that FarmHouse helped shape him as a grounded and successful person. "The focus on character and responsibility is part of the way I go through life. FarmHouse gave me a community to call home and brothers to go through life with." FINDING STRENGTHS Adam graduated from Washington State in 2002 with a bachelor's degree, followed by an MBA in supply chain management from Texas Christian University in 2006. He works in consulting for Accenture's supply chain and operations practice, based out of the company's Seattle office. "Consulting suits me well as it allows me to focus on my strengths of intellection, ideating, and strategic thinking." In this role he works with large companies around the world, helping them update or expand their supply chain or manufacturing processes. "Through fraternity service, recruiting, and brotherhood, FarmHouse helped me learn about responsibility and working with people for the long term," Adam said. "We always tried to improve the chapter, and not everything we tried worked. My individual actions didn't always have an impact, so I learned the importance of working together toward goals and outcomes. The focus on what really matters helped me make a difference in my career." STAYING CONNECTED Adam and his pledge class celebrated their 20th anniversary over Homecoming, and he considers them to be one of the strongest classes he's seen since his time in college. "I may be highly biased here, but I think it's true! They are the best friends I've made, and our connections are what make FarmHouse a lifetime benefit." Many of the brothers meet each year for a camping trip with their families, in addition to meeting for football games and other WSU events. As a lifelong FarmHouse member, Adam has also attended alumni association meetings and multiple chapter house events, and he maintains a monthly donation to the association as well. Adam strongly encourages all alumni to reconnect with the chapter in some way. "FarmHouse needs its alumni as much as it needs the active members. Come on back for Homecoming, Founders Day, or another event; at least come say hello. It is great to rekindle friendships, connect with other FarmHouse men, and engage with the house." Adam travels both for work and fun and takes a major trip each year; he usually aims for a new country each time. He has been to more than 30 countries on five continents. Most recently, he visited Egypt and Dubai to celebrate his 40th birthday. He has been an avid photographer since college as well. "I documented our time with hundreds of photos, and I try to continue documenting the fun and notable times we've had." Connect with Adam at adam@ adampeterson.com. What Really Matters How FarmHouse Shaped Adam Peterson '00 Adam Peterson '00 and his brother, Colin Peterson '98, on a fishing trip in 2017 just north of Talkeetna, Alaska. F or the last few years, the Alumni Association has been trying to build a connection with the Washington State Future Farmers of America in an effort to recruit highly-motivated students with leadership skills. The FFA is the largest youth organization in the world for high school students and holds its annual state convention on the WSU campus in Pullman. At each FFA convention, students can test their skills and abilities in 21 national career and leadership development events, actively engage in their communities, and improve their leadership skills. When I joined FarmHouse in 1999, there were at least 16 FFA alumni out of our 32 members. Not that this by any means takes away from the high quality of our other non-FFA members throughout the last two decades of our chapter's history, but it shows a definite shift away from a group of men who already have an agricultural background and developed leadership skills. Over that last few years, recruiting in general has been a greater challenge due to the lack of a "list." Partnering with the FFA creates a built-in, face-to-face opportunity if utilized effectively. In the past couple years, the actives have been increasing their involvement through volunteering with the security and lights during convention. They also have a booth with a formal display and give out water bottles that have the FarmHouse logo on them. The Alumni Association provided two annual scholarships two years ago that could be given to any male or female. In addition, we brought back the Arnold Knopf Award, which is presented to the outgoing FFA State President and includes a scholarship also. The hope was this year we would increase this activity and involvement even more. This year, the Alumni Association already donated $800 to purchase jackets for FFA members that couldn't afford them and was planning on sponsoring the career expo at the FFA state convention before it was Reestablishing a Firm Relationship with Washington State FFA (Continued on page 4)

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