Wanting to be an Agriculture Education teacher was not what I had always wanted to do. As like most kids, I first wanted to a veterinarian. And then I wanted to be a marine biologist. I had that all planned out. I'd move to Florida and go to school there to be a marine biologist. I was pretty dead set on that until my junior year of high school.

I was in FFA all through high school. I didn't show livestock, we couldn't afford it. I did not do speeches, I hated speaking in front of people. But I loved the organization and I loved learning and being involved in agriculture. I fell in love with it. My junior year of high school, my agriculture teacher, Mr.D, really pushed me and encouraged me to attend a conference called MFE (Made for Excellence). After that weekend full of workshops, fun activities, and getting to know students in my FFA district, I knew exactly what I wanted to do after high school.

Thats when I knew I wanted to be an agriculture education teacher. I ended up talking to my agriculture teacher about it when we went back to school. He was so encouraging. He asked me if there was anything that could hold me back in pursing a degree in agriculture education and I had explained that I know that teachers here in Oklahoma do not get paid very well. He told me something, and even to this day, it is still drilled in my head anytime I have doubt. He said "It is not about the income. But about the outcome." At first, I did not know what he was meaning. But I thought on it for a long time, and that quote he gave me, is what gets me through every day as I am pursing a degree in agriculture education. I am not pursing a degree in agriculture education for the money, I am pursing it because I care and I want to make an impact. Because of him and his encouragement, I am going to make a difference in students lives just like he did for mine.

I am almost done with my second year at Oklahoma State University pursing a degree in Agriculture Education and I absolutely love it!