Ever since I was a youngster, I had been rodeoing as a member of various rodeo associations. My siblings and I lived and breathed rodeo. As I went on into high school, I continued to rodeo, competing as a goat-tyer. The year 2020 came and dealt me several blows, which forever changed my life. First of all, schools shut down during that year (Covid), and I became a virtual student. Secondly, that same year, my father left my family. He moved away, and divorced my mom. My mother is a teacher, and she was left alone on her salary to support all seven of us kids. My father provided us with no child support. We just doubled-down, worked hard, and carried on. Although things seemed devastating at first, it all turned out just fine. My siblings and I, as well as my mom, learned some lessons and grew as individuals in ways that we otherwise wouldn’t have. I still have almost no contact with my father, and he has not supported our family since that day. During my senior year of rodeo, a man by the name of Jason Ishmael was at many of my events, recruiting for NEO, and contacted me several times that year about joining the team. I always declined, thinking that I couldn’t afford to go to college. Jason didn’t give up contact. Finally, in May (that’s so late for college admissions!) my mom told me that she had scheduled a college visit and that we should at least visit the campus, talk with the rodeo coach, and give it a shot. So Mom and I went. And, all of a sudden, I found myself enrolling in college. This past year has been the year of my best decision! This year was my freshman year, attending NEO as an Ag. Business major and a member of NEO’s rodeo team. I have worked so diligently this year – in and out of the arena. I have worked hard to keep my grades up, to attend every practice for my team, and to improve as I compete with my team at our NIRA rodeos all over the Central Plains Region. I've ended end the year well, with a high GPA , and finished top 11 of the Central Plains standings. With my savings from that year, I was able to buy my truck and trailer (in order to travel for my college rodeos) , and to fund my living expenses, rodeo trips, a year’s worth of hay for boarding my horses, and other incidentals for this past year. However, my savings account is now quite a bit lower. I thankfully received a scholarship from NEO for being on their rodeo team, but it still wasn’t enough to cover everything, so I took out a student loan. This scholarship would provide some added relief, because perhaps it would mean that I wouldn’t have to add to my student loan debt, or add any more financial stress to my mom. This scholarship would be nothing short of a great blessing! The many opportunities my mom has worked so hard to make available, have opened the door for me to attend college, and to compete on the NIRA level, which I never dreamed that I would be able to do! It has given me the work ethic, the grit, and the motivation that has already benefited every area of my life. I hope to be able to grow in the ag industry, while giving rodeo lessons to younger girls who share the same passion in the sport we call rodeo.

Ever since I was a youngster, I had been rodeoing as a member of various rodeo associations. My siblings and I lived and breathed rodeo. As I went on into high school, I continued to rodeo, competing as a goat-tyer. The year 2020 came and dealt me several blows, which forever changed my life. First of all, schools shut down during that year (Covid), and I became a virtual student. Secondly, that same year, my father left my family. He moved away, and divorced my mom. My mother is a teacher, and she was left alone on her salary to support all seven of us kids. My father provided us with no child support. We just doubled-down, worked hard, and carried on. Although things seemed devastating at first, it all turned out just fine. My siblings and I, as well as my mom, learned some lessons and grew as individuals in ways that we otherwise wouldn’t have. I still have almost no contact with my father, and he has not supported our family since that day. During my senior year of rodeo, a man by the name of Jason Ishmael was at many of my events, recruiting for NEO, and contacted me several times that year about joining the team. I always declined, thinking that I couldn’t afford to go to college. Jason didn’t give up contact. Finally, in May (that’s so late for college admissions!) my mom told me that she had scheduled a college visit and that we should at least visit the campus, talk with the rodeo coach, and give it a shot. So Mom and I went. And, all of a sudden, I found myself enrolling in college. This past year has been the year of my best decision! This year was my freshman year, attending NEO as an Ag. Business major and a member of NEO’s rodeo team. I have worked so diligently this year – in and out of the arena. I have worked hard to keep my grades up, to attend every practice for my team, and to improve as I compete with my team at our NIRA rodeos all over the Central Plains Region. I've ended end the year well, with a high GPA , and finished top 11 of the Central Plains standings. With my savings from that year, I was able to buy my truck and trailer (in order to travel for my college rodeos) , and to fund my living expenses, rodeo trips, a year’s worth of hay for boarding my horses, and other incidentals for this past year. However, my savings account is now quite a bit lower. I thankfully received a scholarship from NEO for being on their rodeo team, but it still wasn’t enough to cover everything, so I took out a student loan. This scholarship would provide some added relief, because perhaps it would mean that I wouldn’t have to add to my student loan debt, or add any more financial stress to my mom. This scholarship would be nothing short of a great blessing! The many opportunities my mom has worked so hard to make available, have opened the door for me to attend college, and to compete on the NIRA level, which I never dreamed that I would be able to do! It has given me the work ethic, the grit, and the motivation that has already benefited every area of my life. I hope to be able to grow in the ag industry, while giving rodeo lessons to younger girls who share the same passion in the sport we call rodeo.

I wasn’t going to go to college. I just didn’t think I would be able to. But in May, 2022, that all changed. Ever since I was a youngster, I had been rodeoing as a member of various family rodeo associations. As I went on into high school, I continued to rodeo, eventually membering up with Missouri High School Rodeo Association. Additionally, I was also an active member of my local FFA chapter, even winning Districts and placing at State FFA Convention on our chapter’s horse judging team. Then, the year 2020 came and dealt me several blows, which forever changed my life. First, of course, schools shut down during that year (Covid), and I became a virtual student. Secondly, that same year, my father left my family. He moved away, and divorced my mom. My mother is a teacher, and she was left alone on her salary to support all six of us kids who were still at home; my father provided us with no child support. Thankfully, he did leave us our house, our small farm, and our horses. So we just doubled-down, worked hard, and carried on. Although things seemed devastating at first, it all turned out just fine. My siblings and I, as well as my mom, learned some lessons and grew as individuals in ways that we otherwise wouldn’t have. I still have almost no contact with my father, and he has not supported our family since that day. Fast forward to May of 2022. I had already graduated from high school the previous year, and had simply taken a job at our local MFA Agri Services, thinking that I would just spend my life at a job in my little town. But God (as He often does) had other plans for me. During my high school senior year, I competed with Missouri High School Rodeo, and the recruiter for Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College’s rodeo team attended many of my MHSR events, recruiting for NEO college. He contacted me several times that year about attending NEO and being a member of their rodeo team. I always declined, thinking that I just couldn’t afford to go to college. But he just didn’t give up. Finally, in May (late for college admissions!) my mom scheduled a college visit, just to "give it a shot." Suddenly, I found myself enrolling in college. That was last year -- the year of my best decision! I attended NEO as an Ag. Business major and a member of NEO’s rodeo team. I worked diligently – in and out of the arena -- maintaining good grades, attending every practice for my team, and improving as I compete with my team all over the Central Plains Region in Kansas and Oklahoma. My first semester was hard, but I ended the year well, with a high GPA and in the top 10 of the Central Plains standings. I look forward my second year of college, and a future career in the field of agriculture.

My first memories of my Pappy took place on the back of a horse. I was a little blond slip-of-a-girl; he called me Loorna-Doone. "C'mon, Loorna-Doone, time to do some riding," he'd say, and swing me up on the back skirt of his saddle, then he'd swing up in the saddle seat, so I could wrap my little arms around him and off we'd go. Other times, he would be out at the corral with me and my siblings, critiquing and coaching us as we'd work at breaking wild ponies, in hopes of making them ridable and well-behaved (he called it, making wild ponies into "good citizens") so we could sell them for a bit of a profit. Pappy was my mama's dad. He was a Vietnam veteran; he served in the late 1960's in communications. The flag was important to him, and so was honesty, integrity, his faith, his family, and his country. He reminded us -- my siblings and I -- that these things were important by dropping little nuggets of wisdom as we would ride, drawing our attention to the land around us as we'd check cows ...reminding us to be thankful for our country and what it stands for. And for those who gave so much to protect it. My siblings and I carried his love of country, hard work, and horses into our own lives. This fall, August 2024, I will begin my second year at Northeastern Oklahoma A & M, studying for a career in agriculture--agronomy. I am honored to be a part of NEO's rodeo team, to represent my college in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, traveling all over the mid-west, competing in the Central Plains Region. As I look back, it's almost a miracle that I am here. I have fought to get here. My own father left my mother...left her with seven kids, a farm, and a low-paying teaching job to get us through. My Pap (and my Nanny) was always there for us. He helped us feed hay in the freezing temperatures and assured my mama that we would make it okay. He encouraged us kids to carry on, to follow our talents and dreams. He taught us courage and mental toughness. He taught us to believe in our God, and to stand for our country. My Pap passed away peacefully some years ago. Most of us -- his family -- were beside his bed, singing the old hymns he loved and listening to him whisper his last nuggets of wisdom to us. His last words to me were how proud he was of me for my accomplishments and that I could "go any direction." I believed him. And here I am -- living out the words he left me with -- attending college, with the goal of earning my degree in Ag.Business/Agronomy. I look forward to a career with a feed production corporation, or perhaps a feed-based research firm, in my native Mid-west. As he said -- "any direction."

Growing up on a farm has put a permanent love for the farming industry and land into my blood. My six siblings and I were raised on a farm, where we were taught how to maintain crops, raise and train animals, and take care of the beautiful land God had blessed us with. The older I got, the more I became involved in rodeo and horse training. I also grew as an active member of my local FFA chapter, even winning Districts and placing at State FFA Convention on our chapter’s horse judging team. Then, the year 2020 came and dealt me several blows, which forever changed my life. First of all, of course, schools shut down during that year (Covid), and I became a virtual student. Secondly, that same year, my father left my family. He moved away, and divorced my mom. My mother is a teacher, and she was left alone on her salary to support all six of us kids who were still at home; my father provided us with no child support. We just doubled-down, worked hard, and carried on. Although things seemed devastating at first, it all turned out just fine. My siblings and I, as well as my mom, learned some lessons and grew as individuals in ways that we otherwise wouldn’t have. I still have almost no contact with my father, and he has not supported our family since that day. Fast forward to May of 2022. I had already graduated from high school the previous year, and had simply taken a job at our local MFA Agri Services, thinking that I would just spend my life working at a job in my little town. But God (as He often does) had other plans for me. Working at MFA spiked an interest in a job field I didn't even know existed. A Career in Agriculture, specifically Agronomy, in order to serve the equine world. Being involved with horses and livestock since a young age spiked a will to channel this passion into providing guidance to fellow horse owners regarding feed and nutrition for the better health of their animals, as well as being a part of new developments in the area of agronomy. During my “gap” year of working at MFA (before I started college), I had built up a decent savings account, by working at my job and by hosting goat-tying clinics. At these clinics with younger girls, I taught them the techniques and the skills to help them compete. It was a pleasure to transfer what I know about my sport to the next generation. With my savings from that year, I was able to buy my truck and trailer (in order to travel for my college rodeos) , and to fund my living expenses, rodeo trips, a year’s worth of hay for boarding my horses, and other incidentals for this past year. However, my savings account is now quite a bit lower. I thankfully received a scholarship from NEO for being on their rodeo team, but it still wasn’t enough to cover everything, so I took out a student loan. This scholarship would provide some added relief. As an adult, my daily living will come from a career in the world of Agriculture. The Agriculture industry has opened many doors, and paves the road of success for my whole future. It has also given me the work ethic, the grit, and the motivation that has already benefited, and will continue to benefit, every area of my life.

Ever since I was a youngster, I had been rodeoing as a member of various rodeo associations. My siblings and I lived and breathed rodeo. As I went on into high school, I continued to rodeo, competing as a goat-tyer. The year 2020 came and dealt me several blows, which forever changed my life. First of all, schools shut down during that year (Covid), and I became a virtual student. Secondly, that same year, my father left my family. He moved away, and divorced my mom. My mother is a teacher, and she was left alone on her salary to support all seven of us kids. My father provided us with no child support. We just doubled-down, worked hard, and carried on. Although things seemed devastating at first, it all turned out just fine. My siblings and I, as well as my mom, learned some lessons and grew as individuals in ways that we otherwise wouldn’t have. I still have almost no contact with my father, and he has not supported our family since that day. This past year has been the year of my best decision! This year was my freshman year, attending NEO as an Ag. Business major and a member of NEO’s rodeo team. I have worked so diligently this year – in and out of the arena. I have worked hard to keep my grades up, to attend every practice for my team, and to improve as I compete with my team at our NIRA rodeos all over the Central Plains Region. I've ended end the year well, with a high GPA , and finished top 11 of the Central Plains standings. With my savings from that year, I was able to buy my truck and trailer (in order to travel for my college rodeos) , and to fund my living expenses, rodeo trips, a year’s worth of hay for boarding my horses, and other incidentals for this past year. However, my savings account is now quite a bit lower. I thankfully received a scholarship from NEO for being on their rodeo team, but it still wasn’t enough to cover everything, so I took out a student loan. This scholarship would provide some added relief, because perhaps it would mean that I wouldn’t have to add to my student loan debt, or spend precious hours working a part-time job. This scholarship would be nothing short of a great blessing! The lessons I have learned and the skills I have gained from rodeo have opened the door for me to attend college, and to compete on the NIRA level, which I never dreamed that I would be able to do! Rodeo has given me the work ethic, the grit, and the motivation that has already benefited every area of my life. I hope to be able to grow in the ag industry, while giving rodeo lessons to younger girls who share the same passion in the sport we call rodeo.

Ever since I was a youngster, I had been rodeoing as a member of various rodeo associations. My siblings and I lived and breathed rodeo. As I went on into high school, I continued to rodeo, competing as a goat-tyer. The year 2020 came and dealt me several blows, which forever changed my life. First of all, schools shut down during that year (Covid), and I became a virtual student. Secondly, that same year, my father left my family. He moved away, and divorced my mom. My mother is a teacher, and she was left alone on her salary to support all seven of us kids. My father provided us with no child support. We just doubled-down, worked hard, and carried on. Although things seemed devastating at first, it all turned out just fine. My siblings and I, as well as my mom, learned some lessons and grew as individuals in ways that we otherwise wouldn’t have. I still have almost no contact with my father, and he has not supported our family since that day. During my senior year of rodeo, a man by the name of Jason Ishmael was at many of my events, recruiting for NEO, and contacted me several times that year about joining the team. I always declined, thinking that I couldn’t afford to go to college. Jason didn’t give up contact. Finally, in May (that’s so late for college admissions!) my mom told me that she had scheduled a college visit and that we should at least visit the campus, talk with the rodeo coach, and give it a shot. So Mom and I went. And, all of a sudden, I found myself enrolling in college. This past year has been the year of my best decision! This year was my freshman year, attending NEO as an Ag. Business major and a member of NEO’s rodeo team. I have worked so diligently this year – in and out of the arena. I have worked hard to keep my grades up, to attend every practice for my team, and to improve as I compete with my team at our NIRA rodeos all over the Central Plains Region. I've ended end the year well, with a high GPA , and finished top 11 of the Central Plains standings. With my savings from that year, I was able to buy my truck and trailer (in order to travel for my college rodeos) , and to fund my living expenses, rodeo trips, a year’s worth of hay for boarding my horses, and other incidentals for this past year. However, my savings account is now quite a bit lower. I thankfully received a scholarship from NEO for being on their rodeo team, but it still wasn’t enough to cover everything, so I took out a student loan. This scholarship would provide some added relief, because perhaps it would mean that I wouldn’t have to add to my student loan debt, or add any more financial stress to my mom. This scholarship would be nothing short of a great blessing! The many opportunities my mom has worked so hard to make available, have opened the door for me to attend college, and to compete on the NIRA level, which I never dreamed that I would be able to do! It has given me the work ethic, the grit, and the motivation that has already benefited every area of my life. I hope to be able to grow in the ag industry, while giving rodeo lessons to younger girls who share the same passion in the sport we call rodeo.

Ever since I was a youngster, I had been rodeoing as a member of various rodeo associations. My siblings and I lived and breathed rodeo. As I went on into high school, I continued to rodeo, competing as a goat-tyer. The year 2020 came and dealt me several blows, which forever changed my life. First of all, schools shut down during that year (Covid), and I became a virtual student. Secondly, that same year, my father left my family. He moved away, and divorced my mom. My mother is a teacher, and she was left alone on her salary to support all seven of us kids. My father provided us with no child support. We just doubled-down, worked hard, and carried on. Although things seemed devastating at first, it all turned out just fine. My siblings and I, as well as my mom, learned some lessons and grew as individuals in ways that we otherwise wouldn’t have. I still have almost no contact with my father, and he has not supported our family since that day. During my senior year of rodeo, a man by the name of Jason Ishmael was at many of my events, recruiting for NEO, and contacted me several times that year about joining the team. I always declined, thinking that I couldn’t afford to go to college. Jason didn’t give up contact. Finally, in May (that’s so late for college admissions!) my mom told me that she had scheduled a college visit and that we should at least visit the campus, talk with the rodeo coach, and give it a shot. So Mom and I went. And, all of a sudden, I found myself enrolling in college. This past year has been the year of my best decision! This year was my freshman year, attending NEO as an Ag. Business major and a member of NEO’s rodeo team. I have worked so diligently this year – in and out of the arena. I have worked hard to keep my grades up, to attend every practice for my team, and to improve as I compete with my team at our NIRA rodeos all over the Central Plains Region. I've ended end the year well, with a high GPA , and finished top 11 of the Central Plains standings. With my savings from that year, I was able to buy my truck and trailer (in order to travel for my college rodeos) , and to fund my living expenses, rodeo trips, a year’s worth of hay for boarding my horses, and other incidentals for this past year. However, my savings account is now quite a bit lower. I thankfully received a scholarship from NEO for being on their rodeo team, but it still wasn’t enough to cover everything, so I took out a student loan. This scholarship would provide some added relief, because perhaps it would mean that I wouldn’t have to add to my student loan debt, or spend precious hours working a part-time job. This scholarship would be nothing short of a great blessing! The lessons I have learned and the skills I have gained from rodeo have opened the door for me to attend college, and to compete on the NIRA level, which I never dreamed that I would be able to do! Rodeo has given me the work ethic, the grit, and the motivation that has already benefited every area of my life. I hope to be able to grow in the ag industry, while giving rodeo lessons to younger girls who share the same passion in the sport we call rodeo.

Ever since I was a youngster, I had been rodeoing as a member of various family rodeo associations. My siblings and I lived and breathed both horses and rodeo. As I went on into high school, I continued to rodeo, eventually competing as a goat-tyer and membering up with Missouri High School Rodeo Association (and wishing I had done so much earlier in my life!). The sport of rodeo is very different from typical sports. It requires a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, (seriously though!) The people you meet along the rodeo road and the friendships you make, are lifelong, and these people become like family. One such friend was a young man, by the name of Caden Moss, who was like a brother. He grew up with my family, and competed in the rodeo sport of bull riding, hauling to many rodeos with us. The year 2020 came and dealt me several blows, which forever changed my life. First of all, of course, schools shut down during that year (Covid), and I became a virtual student. Secondly, that same year, my very best friend, Caden Moss, was involved and in a car accident. He was on his way back home to Missouri, from Kansas, where he had been riding bulls with my brother. I was hardly 16 years old, but the moment I got the phone call, I packed my bag and drove straight to the hospital in Wichita. This was where they had flown his unresponsive body. After days of fighting, his brain showed no more activity, and we had to lay his body to rest. Still to this day do I rodeo, and give my all in the arena, in remembrance of Caden Moss. That same year, shortly after the loss of our very dear friend, my father left my family. He moved away, and divorced my mom. My mother is a teacher, and she was left alone on her salary to support all seven of us kids who were still at home; my father provided us with no child support. We just doubled-down, worked hard, and carried on. I still have almost no contact with my father, and he has not supported our family since that day. Although the year of 2020 seemed devastating, it all turned out just fine. I just know Caden is looking down, very proud to see how far I've come in the sport of rodeo, even competing at the college level. This year I was able to finish top 11 in the Central Plains Region in the sport of Goat Tying. It is a huge goal of mine to make the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper Wyoming in my college carrier, in honor of Moss. Throughout all the hardships, My siblings and I, as well as my mom, learned some lessons and grew as individuals in ways that we otherwise wouldn’t have. I have learned to work hard for the goals I wish to achieve, to cherish great relationships God blesses me with, and to go on living my life honoring a great cowboy lost.

Ever since I was a youngster, I had been rodeoing as a member of various family rodeo associations. My siblings and I lived and breathed both horses and rodeo. As I went on into high school, I continued to rodeo, and membered with Missouri High School Rodeo Association (and wishing I had done so much earlier in my life!). Additionally, I was also an active member of my local FFA chapter, even winning Districts and placing at State FFA Convention on our chapter’s horse judging team. Then, the year 2020 came and dealt me several blows, which forever changed my life. First of all, of course, schools shut down during that year (Covid), and I became a virtual student. Secondly, that same year, my father left my family. He moved away, and divorced my mom. My mother is a teacher, and she was left alone on her salary to support all seven of us kids who were still at home; my father provided us with no child support. We doubled-down, worked hard, and carried on. Although things seemed devastating at first, it all turned out just fine. My siblings and I, as well as my mom, learned some lessons and grew as individuals in ways that we otherwise wouldn’t have. I still have almost no contact with my father, and he has not supported our family since that day. (My mom remarried a while later, and I now have an amazing step-dad, who loves us kids like we are his own…but that’s a whole other story! During my year with Missouri High School Rodeo, a man by the name of Jason Ishmael served in sort of a volunteer capacity as an assistant coach and recruiter for Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College’s rodeo team. Jason was at many of my MHSR events, recruiting for NEO. He contacted me several times that year about attending NEO. I always declined, thinking that I just couldn’t afford to go to college. Jason just didn’t give up, and periodically he would contact me and encourage me to attend NEO. Finally, in May (that’s so late for college admissions!) my mom told me that she had scheduled a college visit and that we should at least visit the campus, talk with the department head of the agriculture department and the rodeo coach, and give it a shot. So Mom and I went. And, all of a sudden, I found myself enrolling in college. This past year has been the year of my best decision! This year was my freshman year, attending NEO as an Ag. Business major and a member of NEO’s rodeo team. I have worked so diligently this year – in and out of the arena. I have worked hard to keep my grades up, to attend every practice for my team, and to improve as I compete with my team at our NIRA rodeos all over the Central Plains Region. My first semester was so hard, but I battled back and will end the year well, with a high GPA and top 11 of the Central Plains Rodeo standings. With my savings from working throughout high school, I was able to buy my truck and trailer (in order to travel for my college rodeos), and to fund my living expenses, rodeo trips, a year’s worth of hay for boarding my horses, and other incidentals for this past year. However, my savings account is now quite a bit lower. I thankfully received a scholarship from NEO for being on their rodeo team, but it still wasn’t enough to cover everything, so I took out a student loan. As an adult, my daily living will come from a career in the world of ag. business; I will not use goat-tying exclusively as my livelihood. However, the lessons I have learned and the skills I have gained from goat-tying have opened the door for me to attend college, and to compete on the NIRA level, which I never dreamed that I would be able to do! It is a huge goal of mine to compete at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper Wyoming, in the sport of Goat Tying. Rodeo has given me the work ethic, the grit, and the motivation that has already benefited, and will continue to benefit, every area of my life. A passion can be valuable – even if it does not necessarily produce an income. I will, for as long as I am able, compete in the sport that I love.

My first memories of my Pappy took place on the back of a horse. I was a little blond slip-of-a-girl; he called me Loorna-Doone. "C'mon, Loorna-Doone, time to do some riding," he'd say, and swing me up on the back skirt of his saddle, then he'd swing up in the saddle seat, so I could wrap my little arms around him and off we'd go. Other times, he would be out at the corral with me and my siblings, critiquing and coaching us as we'd work at breaking wild ponies, in hopes of making them ridable and well-behaved (he called it, making wild ponies into "good citizens") so we could sell them for a bit of a profit. Pappy was my mama's dad. He was a Vietnam veteran; he served in the late 1960's in communications. The flag was important to him, and so was honesty, integrity, his faith, his family, and his country. He reminded us -- my siblings and I -- that these things were important by dropping little nuggets of wisdom as we would ride, drawing our attention to the land around us as we'd check cows ...reminding us to be thankful for our country and what it stands for. And for those who gave so much to protect it. My siblings and I carried his love of country, hard work, and horses into our own lives. In the fall of 2024, I will begin my second year at Northeastern Oklahoma A & M, studying for a career in agriculture--agronomy. I am honored to be a part of NEO's rodeo team, to represent my college in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, traveling all over the mid-west, competing in the Central Plains Region. As I look back, it's almost a miracle that I am here. I have fought to get here. My own father left my mother...left her with seven kids, a farm, and a low-paying teaching job to get us through. My Pap (and my Nanny) was always there for us. He helped us feed hay in the freezing temperatures and assured my mama that we would make it okay. He encouraged us kids to carry on, to follow our talents and dreams. He taught us courage and mental toughness. He taught us to believe in our God, our country, and the possibilities that awaited us. My Pap passed away peacefully some years ago. Most of us -- his family -- were beside his bed, singing the old hymns he loved and listening to him whisper his last nuggets of wisdom to us. His last words to me were how proud he was of me for my accomplishments and that I could "go any direction." I believed him. And here I am, living out his words to me. Like he taught us, I am truly thankful for my country, a place where -- with hard work and perseverance -- we Americans can, indeed, "go any direction." --Lauren Weller

My first memories of my Pappy took place on the back of a horse. I was a little blond slip-of-a-girl; he called me Loorna-Doone. "C'mon, Loorna-Doone, time to do some riding," he'd say, and swing me up on the back skirt of his saddle, then he'd swing up in the saddle seat, so I could wrap my little arms around him and off we'd go. Other times, he would be out at the corral with me and my siblings, critiquing and coaching us as we'd work at breaking wild ponies, in hopes of making them ridable and well-behaved (he called it, making wild ponies into "good citizens") so we could sell them for a bit of a profit. Pappy was my mama's dad. He was a Vietnam veteran; he served in the late 1960's in communications. The flag was important to him, and so was honesty, integrity, his faith, his family, and his country. He reminded us -- my siblings and I -- that these things were important by dropping little nuggets of wisdom as we would ride, drawing our attention to the land around us as we'd check cows ...reminding us to be thankful for our country and what it stands for. And for those who gave so much to protect it. My siblings and I carried his love of country, hard work, and horses into our own lives. In the fall of 2024, I will begin my second year at Northeastern Oklahoma A & M, studying for a career in agriculture--agronomy. I am honored to be a part of NEO's rodeo team, to represent my college in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, traveling all over the mid-west, competing in the Central Plains Region. As I look back, it's almost a miracle that I am here. I have fought to get here. My own father left my mother...left her with seven kids, a farm, and a low-paying teaching job to get us through. My Pap (and my Nanny) was always there for us. He helped us feed hay in the freezing temperatures and assured my mama that we would make it okay. He encouraged us kids to carry on, to follow our talents and dreams. He taught us courage and mental toughness. He taught us to believe in our God, our country, and the possibilities that awaited us. My Pap passed away peacefully some years ago. Most of us -- his family -- were beside his bed, singing the old hymns he loved and listening to him whisper his last nuggets of wisdom to us. His last words to me were how proud he was of me for my accomplishments and that I could "go any direction." I believed him. And here I am, living out his words to me. Like he taught us, I am truly thankful for my country, a place where -- with hard work and perseverance -- we Americans can, indeed, "go any direction." --Lauren Weller

My first memories of my Pappy took place on the back of a horse. I was a little blond slip-of-a-girl; he called me Loorna-Doone. "C'mon, Loorna-Doone, time to do some riding," he'd say, and swing me up on the back skirt of his saddle, then he'd swing up in the saddle seat, so I could wrap my little arms around him and off we'd go. Other times, he would be out at the corral with me and my siblings, critiquing and coaching us as we'd work at breaking wild ponies, in hopes of making them ridable and well-behaved (he called it, making wild ponies into "good citizens") so we could sell them for a bit of a profit. Pappy was my mama's dad. He was a Vietnam veteran; he served in the late 1960's in communications. The flag was important to him, and so was honesty, integrity, his faith, his family, and his country. He reminded us -- my siblings and I -- that these things were important by dropping little nuggets of wisdom as we would ride, drawing our attention to the land around us as we'd check cows ...reminding us to be thankful for our country and what it stands for. And for those who gave so much to protect it. My siblings and I carried his love of country, hard work, and horses into our own lives. In the fall of 2024, I will begin my second year at Northeastern Oklahoma A & M, studying for a career in agriculture--agronomy. I am honored to be a part of NEO's rodeo team, to represent my college in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, traveling all over the mid-west, competing in the Central Plains Region. As I look back, it's almost a miracle that I am here. I have fought to get here. My own father left my mother...left her with seven kids, a farm, and a low-paying teaching job to get us through. My Pap (and my Nanny) was always there for us. He helped us feed hay in the freezing temperatures and assured my mama that we would make it okay. He encouraged us kids to carry on, to follow our talents and dreams. He taught us courage and mental toughness. He taught us to believe in our God, our country, and the possibilities that awaited us. My Pap passed away peacefully some years ago. Most of us -- his family -- were beside his bed, singing the old hymns he loved and listening to him whisper his last nuggets of wisdom to us. His last words to me were how proud he was of me for my accomplishments and that I could "go any direction." I believed him. And here I am, living out his words to me. Like he taught us, I am truly thankful for my country, a place where -- with hard work and perseverance -- we Americans can, indeed, "go any direction." --Lauren Weller