Age: 17
Hometown: Granby, Mo.
FFA Chapter: East Newton FFA
Advisors: Steve Loveday and Brian Nelson
What is your involvement in agriculture?
“I don’t live on a farm, but I have always loved being around animals. It’s just something that brings me a lot of joy. Being involved in ag and FFA in high school is kind of like my safe spot. My teacher, Mr. Nelson, has cattle on his farm and some horses, so we bring them in and learn about the animals. We also usually have a pig at the school and she usually has babies. We take care of the babies. Sometimes we have chickens, goats or other animals that are bought in, so we get to learn more about them. Being in ag has allowed me to be around the animals I love. My best friend, Vanessa Enslow, is really a big part of why I got involved in FFA. I hadn’t planned to be involved in it at all, but she showed me the possibilities FFA can give me.”
What are your future plans?
“I’m trying to decide if I want to go into nursing or be a teacher. Either way, I want to be around kids, so I would go into pediatric nursing or be a kindergarten through fourth-grade teacher. I hope to one day live on my own farm. If I’m a teacher, I can always take my students on a field trip to my farm to show them the animals. I hope to teach kids a little something about agriculture. Also, my family emigrated from Germany and built a farm from the ground up. Some day, I want to buy back that farm and have it in our family again.”
What would you tell other students who are thinking about being involved in FFA, even if they don’t live on a farm?
“At least try FFA. I didn’t expect to be involved in agriculture at all, but being in FFA and agriculture class has been a great experience for me. It’s shaped me into a person who not only has a love for animals, but it has helped me gain a new perspective in life and how agriculture is needed in everyday life.”
