Leslie Hawkins
Age: 18
Parents: Enos and Denice Hawkins
Hometown: Lebanon, Mo.
FFA Chapter: Lebanon FFA
FFA Advisors: Craig Evans, Charles Simpson and Tommy Inman
Ag Involvement at Home: “I’ve been helping on our family farm the last few years since I got into high school. We raise beef cattle. The majority are a Santa Gertrudis-Hereford cross. I help with checking on the cows, feeding and weaning. We feed the show steers twice a day and the replacement heifers once a day because the girls don’t need as much feed.
“I’ve shown a steer the last two years at the Laclede County Fair, one from our farm. The first year I just feed him on bag feed and last year, I got with MFA. They made a feed ration mix for me and my steer grew so much better. I got the second best rate of gain at the Laclede County Fair.”
Ag Involvement at School: “I’ve been in FFA the last three years. Before Christmas, Jason Tollett, a representative from the Show-Me State Shootout bull riding competition held in Lebanon in January of this year came to our school. He talked to us about finding sponsors for the event and the drawing for scholarship money that was involved. We, the students, then talked to various businesses about being sponsors. The sponsor of the championship bull also won a major cash prize. There were 30 bulls involved so this was a big event.”
What were the advantages for you, working for this particular event?
“Well, the first, of course, is I was lucky enough to win a $500 scholarship in the drawing held at the end but I also think something like this helps students, like me to learn people skills, business skills, that I can use no matter what field I end up in. My mom also has her own home-based business with Pampered Chef. I like helping her in her shows and it’s the same thing, learning business skills now.”
Future Plans: “I’m planning on going to OTC, Crowder or maybe MSU at West Plains. Right now I’m really leaning toward Crowder. I’m earning A+ hours through FTA (Future Teachers of America) so wherever I go that will help. I’d like to go into something in the agricultural field, ag business or ag science and then maybe one day, I’ll inherit dad’s farm,” she concluded.
