The experience that led me to pursue an education in veterinary science was my experience in FFA at my high school. I had always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian; however, as I aged I realized that becoming a veterinarian was going to be difficult. So, I decided that I was going to need some help. I had always considered joining the FFA, but I was never sure how to do so. Then, when I got to my freshman year at Travelers Rest High School, I found out I needed to take an agriculture class. However, bad luck struck and I was not able to get into a class that year. But, I knew I would do it next year because this was my dream. So, I enrolled in an agricultural science class the very next year and joined FFA. As soon as I had gone to my first meeting, I knew that I had done the right thing. Within my first few months in FFA, I was already the secretary of our high school chapter and I secured a job at a local veterinary hospital. I knew this was the place for me. Throughout the past three years, I have gained so much from FFA and it has truly shown me that a career in veterinary science is for me. From competing in various animal science career development events (CDE's), such as dairy handling and veterinary science, to working at my job at Poinsett Animal Hospital I have gained so much knowledge about the veterinary field. I have also had the opportunity to shadow under various veterinarians in different specialties and work on several different types of farms to gain experience. So, because of FFA and my experience in it, I have truly grown a love for the veterinary field and particularly large animal medicine. I have been using that love, and the support of my FFA family, to help drive me to further my education and become a large animal veterinarian one day. I am currently planning to attend Mississippi State University with a major in animal and dairy sciences and continue my education at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where I am already accepted through the early entry program. Through all of this, I have learned how important veterinarians can be in a rural community. They are pillars and they can make a community flourish if they chose to support it. I plan to support my future community through my career in these ways. As I mentioned, FFA was a huge part of my journey. Because of this, I intend to support organizations such as this in my community in order to be able to foster a love for agriculture in the next generations. I also intend to get to know my community and use that to support them. I will do anything I can to support farmers and their livelihood and I will make it my mission to serve this future community. The purpose of a veterinarian is to care for the animals that either are loved dearly or are a persons livelihood. However, a veterinarians duties should not end with animals and I intend to show this in my future community by supporting them in any way I can. Just as the end of the FFA motto says: "Living to Serve."

The experience that led me to pursue an education in veterinary science was my experience in FFA at my high school. I had always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian; however, as I aged I realized that becoming a veterinarian was going to be difficult. So, I decided that I was going to need some help. I had always considered joining the FFA, but I was never sure how to do so. Then, when I got to my freshman year at Travelers Rest High School, I found out I needed to take an agriculture class. However, bad luck struck and I was not able to get into a class that year. But, I knew I would do it next year because this was my dream. So, I enrolled in an agricultural science class the very next year and joined FFA. As soon as I had gone to my first meeting, I knew that I had done the right thing. Within my first few months in FFA, I was already the secretary of our high school chapter and I secured a job at a local veterinary hospital. I knew this was the place for me. Throughout the past three years, I have gained so much from FFA and it has truly shown me that a career in veterinary science is for me. From competing in various animal science career development events (CDE's), such as dairy handling and veterinary science, to working at my job at Poinsett Animal Hospital I have gained so much knowledge about the veterinary field. I have also had the opportunity to shadow under various veterinarians in different specialties and work on several different types of farms to gain experience. So, because of FFA and my experience in it, I have truly grown a love for the veterinary field and particularly large animal medicine. I have been using that love, and the support of my FFA family, to help drive me to further my education and become a large animal veterinarian one day. I am currently planning to attend Mississippi State University with a major in animal and dairy sciences and continue my education at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where I am already accepted through the early entry program. Through all of this, I have learned how important veterinarians can be in a rural community. They are pillars and they can make a community flourish if they chose to support it. I plan to support my future community through my career in these ways. As I mentioned, FFA was a huge part of my journey. Because of this, I intend to support organizations such as this in my community in order to be able to foster a love for agriculture in the next generations. I also intend to get to know my community and use that to support them. I will do anything I can to support farmers and their livelihood and I will make it my mission to serve this future community. The purpose of a veterinarian is to care for the animals that either are loved dearly or are a persons livelihood. However, a veterinarians duties should not end with animals and I intend to show this in my future community by supporting them in any way I can. Just as the end of the FFA motto says: "Living to Serve."

Ever since I took Mrs. Kinlaw's AP Human Geography class during my freshman year of high school, I have consistently been a part of the AP and Dual Enrollment world. From the highs of the biology labs at Greenville Tech to the lows of struggling through AP World History readings, these classes have taught me so much more than science or history. Of course they have taught me how to be hardworking, but they have also taught me how to be kind, work with others, and accept help. My AP and Dual Enrollment classes have challenged me in a multitude of ways. I have been swamped with three AP tests in a week, and I have been assigned 300 pages of reading that was due in one night. Yet, I persevered through it all and came out with a 5 on my AP exams, and even a perfect score on my AP Human Geography exam, or an A in all my Dual Enrollment classes. But, how did I manage all of that? Well, it came down to the fact that I put my head down and did the work. Learning how to work hard hasn't only come in handy for AP and Dual Enrollment classes, even though it all started there. It has paid off in my clubs and in my pursuit of my career of being a large animal veterinarian. This was because I learned valuable study skills and how to keep myself focused. So, thanks to my classes preparing me to be hardworking, I am one of 30 people in the nation who have been accepted to the class of 2032 at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine as a senior in high school, and I will be attending the FFA National Convention to compete in Horse Evaluation. So, my AP and Dual Enrollment classes have taught me how to be hardworking in class but also everything else I may choose to do. How to be hardworking was not the only thing that my AP and Dual Enrollment classes have taught me. They have also taught me to be kind, to be able to work with others, and to be able to accept help. AP and Dual Enrollment classes are hard. So, I’ve had to learn that I cannot go through everything alone. The people that have been in my classes with me have been so helpful. They have taught me that it is ok to ask for help and to receive that help from other people. Without learning this, I would not have been able to pass my classes with the grades I received. The kindness, such as when people would offer to study with me or take time out of their day to explain a topic that I didn't understand, that I was shown by the other people in my classes has also helped me to better myself and try to be that person for someone else who is struggling with these difficult classes. I have had the opportunity to help several underclassmen with classes that I had already taken and with planning their future classes, in order to help them reach their career goals. So, I can use the kindness that I learned in my AP and Dual Enrollment classes to help others and hopefully have an effect on their life like others have had on mine.

The experience that led me to pursue an education in veterinary science was my experience in FFA at my high school. I had always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian; however, as I aged I realized that becoming a veterinarian was going to be difficult. So, I decided that I was going to need some help. I had always considered joining the FFA, but I was never sure how to do so. Then, when I got to my freshman year at Travelers Rest High School, I found out I needed to take an agriculture class. However, bad luck struck and I was not able to get into a class that year. But, I knew I would do it next year because this was my dream. So, I enrolled in an agricultural science class the very next year and joined FFA. As soon as I had gone to my first meeting, I knew that I had done the right thing. Within my first few months in FFA, I was already the secretary of our high school chapter and I secured a job at a local veterinary hospital. I knew this was the place for me. Throughout the past three years, I have gained so much from FFA and it has truly shown me that a career in veterinary science is for me. From competing in various animal science career development events (CDE's), such as dairy handling and veterinary science, to working at my job at Poinsett Animal Hospital I have gained so much knowledge about the veterinary field. I have also had the opportunity to shadow under various veterinarians in different specialties and work on several different types of farms to gain experience. So, because of FFA and my experience in it, I have truly grown a love for the veterinary field and particularly large animal medicine. I have been using that love, and the support of my FFA family, to help drive me to further my education and become a large animal veterinarian one day. I am currently planning to attend Mississippi State University with a major in animal and dairy sciences and continue my education at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where I am already accepted through the early entry program. In all, my time in FFA and all of the experiences that it has given me in the animal science world have led me to pursue my Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University in order to become a large animal veterinarian one day.