A teacher that made the biggest impact on my life is my Ag teacher Mrs. McGhee. Mrs. McGhee was originally from Florida where she grew up in the FFA. Once she graduated high school she began college at Sam Houston State University, where she obtained her teaching degree and majored in Animal Science. Mrs. McGhee became a teacher at my school at the beginning of my freshman year, and not to mention it was my first year at this school. I remember being so worried that I was going to be judged, and not make many friends, yet when I met Mrs. McGhee the fear was vanquished instantly. When I walked into her classroom she had the calmest eyes and the sweetest voice; I instantly knew that I would be okay. Mrs. McGhee’s class continued to be my favorite class of the day, yet I longed to be back at my old school. The second semester everything changed. I went back to my old school and soon after quarantine hit, I sat around wondering what I could’ve accomplished if I would have just stayed and stuck it out. Thankfully my mom let me go back to East Chambers come by sophomore year, and there I was more involved with Ag than ever. I showed lambs in middle school, but this year I began going to Majors with them, I became a candidate for the officer team, and finally broke out of my shell and began to recognize myself. Fast-forward a few years and here I am, a senior in high school. Without Mrs. McGhee pushing and persuading me to follow my dreams, I would never have become the successful, intelligent, and dependable person that I am today. Although this will be one of my hardest years, seeing that I will soon be leaving behind everything and everyone that I know and love, I will soon embark on a new journey. One that I never thought in a million years that I would be able to accomplish. Without the support of Mrs. McGhee, I would not have found a passion for agriculture that I wasn’t aware of having, and I would have never broken out of my shell and become the person that I’ve come to know and love. They say coaches and teachers can have the biggest impact on a student’s high school career, and I can proudly say that Mrs. McGhee had the most uplifting and encouraging impact on me, and for that, I am forever grateful.

Once I graduate, I plan to attend Tarleton State University, where I will enroll in the Presidential Honors program. Through Tarleton, I will achieve my bachelor degree in Agricultural Communications/business and graduate with an internship at a place of choice. After graduating from Tarleton State University, I plan to work as a field reporter for the Cowboy Channel or RFD tv. I also plan to become an assistant for professional-level rodeo contestants where I will run their social media platforms and appearances and venues etc… During my internship I also plan to obtain my real estate license where I will be able to sell houses and property in and around my area. I’ve also planned to continue my photography journey ,where I take pictures for contestants during rodeo performances and have recently decided to start doing personable photo shoots as- well. While to most, this may seem like an absurd amount of options, coming from a lower-income family, I’ve decided that I will not depend on others to be successful. In life, people aren’t respected and are constantly looking for handouts, and as young women, people expect us to become nothing more than average. I’ve decided to stop the generational trauma here and become someone that wasn't expected to be extraordinary. While along my journey I will experience hardships, I will not let those hardships define my ability to persevere. I will achieve all my goals through hard work, the ability to be coachable, and Jesus Christ my lord and savior. With these characteristics, I will be successful.