Dylan James Miller Memorial Scholarship

Hi, my name is Delanee Ross. I am currently 18 years old and graduated from highschool at Mark Twain High School in spring of 2022. I am currently attending State Tech in Linn Missouri for Auto Body and Collision Repair. I was born in Perry, Missouri. I grew up in a farming family. I have grown running all sorts of equipment and helping work on broken machinery. We have done everything from running cattle to row crops. We mainly just do custom hay baling and row crop now. My grandpa, dad, and brother are all mechanics and farmers. My grandpa farms a little over two thousand acres. My dad and brother farm around three hundred acres, and just started this last year as their first year as official row crop farmers. I barrel race on the side for fun when I'm not busy working on the farm or working on my truck. I have barrel raced for the past six years and I now have 3 amazing horses under me that have taken me very far. I have won numerous buckles and a saddle for the time I have been barrel racing. I have enjoyed working on the farm with my family as it has brought us so much closer together. I restored my great grandpa's old pickup, with help from my father, for me to drive as my daily driver. It was a lot of work, but very much worth it. I was active in FFA throughout my highschool career. My horses have played a huge role in FFA and my whole life. FFA was an amazing outlet to allow me to use the horses not only as a hobby or something fun to do but use them as my SAE. They have taught me a lot about being responsible, good with my money, and so much more. FFA has always been super important to everyone in my family. My grandpa, dad, and brother have all done it before me. I fell in love with doing the body work and fixing vehicles when me and my dad did my great grandpa’s truck and I decided why not make a career out of it. I am attending State Tech in Linn Missouri in their Auto Body Collision Repair program. I plan on going to work somewhere close to home for a few years then eventually open up my own shop in my hometown.