A person who has courage and determination can achieve his goals and find success. Life is never going to be easy or fair, but battling through the difficult times refines me and strengthens me for a greater future. I am determined to excel at everything I undertake. My educational goals motivate me to perform to the best of my abilities.
I attended a small, rural high school in east Texas and graduated with a class of 37 students. I was valedictorian of my high school class, and I earned all A’s throughout my four years in high school. Attending a small school and growing up in a rural community shaped my abilities in several ways. First, I participated in a multitude of activities, instead of focusing on only one or two as necessary in a larger school to earn a spot on the team or activity. I played football and basketball, ran track, acted in the UIL one act play, debated on UIL LD and CX debate teams, participated in National Honor Society, Future Chamber of Commerce, Students Against Destructive Decisions, and Fellowship of Christian Students. At our school, you couldn’t just say you were a member. My involvement was crucial to make each team or club successful. I learned great leadership skills, outstanding communication skills, and relationship building skills from my involvement in these interests. I am a multifaceted individual because of my cross-training in many areas, not one or two dimensional like those focused on singular activities.
Ranching and farming formed a significant part of my upbringing. My parents and paternal grandparents ranch in east Texas. My maternal great-grandparents farmed and ranched in the panhandle of Oklahoma. Since an early age, I enjoyed many aspects of farming and ranching. I was raised my entire life in agriculture whether showing animals with 4-H or working on my family’s ranch, and I believe agriculture suits me very well. I also enjoy mathematics and honed my skills in Pre-Calculus and Calculus. I combined these two interests, and I am majoring in Agricultural Economics. I also chose Agricultural Economics as a major because of my interest in business in agriculture and because of the diversity of options available within this major. Last fall I took my first Agricultural Economics class and absolutely loved it. So, as I continue my studies, I will contemplate and investigate which would be the most beneficial route for me.
Attending Texas A&M University is the first major step in my career objectives. As a student in the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, I challenge myself to explore all avenues of agriculture. I plan to study abroad one summer to expand my understanding of agriculture in other countries. Also I will involve myself with summer jobs in various aspects of agriculture. After college graduation, I hope to work in a managerial position for a major agricultural employer in Texas, and eventually start my own business. I also look forward to getting married, raising a family.
Last spring, I explored my interest in owning a small agricultural business by working once a week in my home county for a fertilizer/spraying business. I arranged my classes so that I could take advantage of this opportunity on Fridays as a sort of cooperative educational program. I also intentionally signed up for the Farm Tractors and Power Units class to expand my knowledge of agriculture machinery. I gained a birds-eye view of a smaller company and learned about the fertilizer/spraying business as a potential business opportunity. I intend to continue to explore avenues such as these to understand what might fit best with my education, skills and interests.
Starting my own business is already a reality on a small scale with my hay hauling business I started in 2009 and the cow-calf operation I purchased with my 4-H project earnings. About three years ago I started my own small cow-calf operation, buying older cows at auction sales at discounted prices and selling their calves once they are weaned and weighing about 600 lbs. I also operated my own hay hauling business in the summer of 2009 and 2010. I worked with local cattle ranchers to provide a crew to put up square bales in their barns. It’s hot, hard work, but I earned money to put into my cow-calf operation, and all aspects of ranching are enjoyable to me. For instance, this Christmas break I operated a bulldozer for the first time to clear a property for fences for a local rancher. Last summer, I worked in Oklahoma harvesting alfalfa hay and maintaining center pivot irrigation on corn fields. These experiences advanced my learning beyond the conceptual stage and are helping prepare me to attain success on a larger scale.
In addition to my academic and career goals, I strive to consider others and their needs as more important than my own. I was involved in service opportunities throughout my high school career. During one past summer, I participated in a Team Effort mission trip with twenty students and adults from my church youth group. We worked in the second poorest neighborhood in the nation, Houston’s 5th Ward, painting houses. Not only was I able to help others, I gained an appreciation for all my parents provide me. I also participated in World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine, going without food for 30 hours to increase awareness of world hunger in my county and raise money to help with world hunger internationally. One of my recent community service activities involved visiting our local nursing home and playing games and interacting with residents. They really seem to enjoy my visits, and after we played games, I helped them back to their rooms before dinner. Sometimes it’s sad to leave, but I’m always glad I visited. All of my community service experiences make me more aware of the needs of people and how one person can make a difference in the lives of others.