"I believe in the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds." These words are the opening line of the FFA creed, which I recited in my Principles of Agriculture class during my freshman year of high school. At the time, the words did not carry the weight they do now in my life. I would complete 4 years of FFA and would learn many skills along the way. I picked up a knack for public speaking and became much better as a leader. I learned agricultural knowledge in the classroom and applied it in the school greenhouse and during community events. Despite my love of FFA, I would not focus solely on agriculture until college. I attempted to major in history, computer science, and psychology before I found my place studying agriculture. I started at my local community college. My advisor (who also taught the courses) would give me opportunities to learn about agriculture I had not experienced before. I would work for a friend of his to complete an internship requirement for my associate's degree, and it would be there I would learn to work with cattle. I attended farm tours as part of my community college curriculum, and I also worked cattle and built fencing on my advisor's farm. Because of the experiences in my community college program, I truly saw how important agriculture is, and knew I wanted to pursue a career there. After graduating with my Associate's Degree in Sustainable Agriculture, I transferred to Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in Agribusiness. Currently, I am working through an internship with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, in a county office. I have developed and executed educational programming, been on farm tours, attended board meetings, completed research, and learned immense amounts of information about agriculture and the Cooperative Extension Service in my state. I am looking to pursue a career as an Agricultural Extension Agent as a career when I graduate. I am excited about the pursuit of a career as an Extension Agent. I will positively impact my community through farm visits, serving on boards, and conducting educational programming. I will also serve my community in other capacities if a need arises. Through my career, I will continue believing in agriculture with a faith born not of words, but of deeds. This scholarship will be helpful in my pursuit of education to be the best community servant possible. I am grateful for this opportunity.

My journey into the field of agriculture is one I never expected to be on. As a child, I worked in the garden and sometimes helped my grandfather with his cattle. While I enjoyed these things, I never thought I would be where I am today. As I type this essay, I am sitting at my desk at the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Office in the county where I was selected to work for the summer as an intern. All summer, I've been able to work in agriculture in a way that I haven't before. I've developed and delivered educational programming, assisted with farm visits, worked at our county 4-H camp, and much more. I'm now hoping to pursue a career in extension. The reason I did not expect to pursue a career in agriculture is I did not grow up on a farm. I mentioned helping with the garden and with cows, but I didn't live on a farm. I did not get involved with agriculture until I joined FFA in high school. I worked in the school greenhouse and participated in various community service activities. I also used the agriculture knowledge I was learning to take part in FFA competitions. When I went to my local community college, I eventually found my way into the agriculture program. I've since graduated, and my professor has become a good friend. I've worked on his farm before and he connected me with another farmer that I worked under for a while. Both of them have taught me so much. My former professor has taken me with him to cattle sales and other events before so I could learn more about what farmers and non-farmers who work in agriculture do. We go to The Kentucky State Fair every year and set up his farm's section in the exposition center together. These experiences continue to be valuable. Just a few weeks ago, I was invited to teach a beef program at the community college I graduated from, and it was a full-circle moment for me. I'm grateful for everyone who has helped me get to where I am now. I am a senior at Murray State University and will graduate in Spring 2025 with a Bachelor's in Agribusiness. It is challenging to come into agriculture without an agriculture background. When I go to places such as Cattlemen's meetings in my home county or to the Farm Machinery Expo in Louisville, I often struggle with feeling as if I don't belong. Despite having an Associate's Degree in Sustainable Agriculture, there are still many conversations that are awkward for me due to my being new. I've started studying agriculture in college in 2021. Though I may feel like I don't fit in sometimes, I've learned that agriculture is for everyone. After all, without agriculture, we don't eat! Agriculture is imperative to our survival, and there's a place for everyone to be involved. As I pursue a career as an extension agent, I hope to be able to spread that idea. I desire to serve my community the best I can. I seek to be involved in organizations related to agriculture that serve local farmers, and I plan to develop the best educational programs that I can so that spread a passion for agriculture to everyone I can. The most exciting part of being involved in agriculture is that all of us who are involved, whether we farm or not, we all help feed the world! This passion keeps me excited every single day, and I want to serve my community well in my career.

In every discussion of mental health that I engage in, I am reminded of a lesson my grandmother taught me when I was a child. She always talked about how no one can pour from an empty cup. I love this analogy, as it illustrates simply that all have something to give, but they can't give anything if they are not in the condition to do so. Most people have experienced what it is like to desire to help others and give their all for those around them while being hurt because they do not care for themselves. Mental health is important to me because I can only perform at my best when I am at my best. To be "my best," I must sleep well, eat cleanly, exercise, practice proper hygiene, and spend quality time with my family and friends. A healthy frame of mind allows us to be happier, have more energy, and be more productive. Most importantly, mental health is important because everyone is worth being well. When talking about my mental wellness, I must be honest. While I take care of myself, there are ways I need to improve. I know, for example, that a key component of mental wellness is physical wellness. However, sometimes I do not sleep as well as I should, and I eat too much fast food. Since I travel for my current job, it is so easy to pull into a drive-through instead of taking the time to meal prep and pack a cooler. No one is perfect, and beating ourselves up for not being perfect is only going to make our mental and physical health worse. What matters to me is that despite not being perfect, I give my best effort. I frequently visit my county farmers market to buy locally produced meat and produce, and I have been cooking and learning recipes to start packing lunches. In deciding to form these habits, I am impacting my mental health in more ways than one! Not only am I eating healthier, I am learning a new skill in cooking meals, and I am positively impacting my community by supporting local farms. I cannot stress enough the importance of contributing to the community to improve mental health. When I volunteer at the community garden, judge an FFA competition, or make purchase decisions to benefit those in my community, I contribute to things bigger than myself. This looks different for everyone, but most people desire to impact others positively, and getting involved makes us feel better about ourselves. Also important to my mental wellness is my social life. Humans are designed to be social creatures, and we cannot thrive in isolation. As many others will relate, I struggle sometimes to find the time to see the ones I love most due to work, school, and other responsibilities. I still make it non-negotiable to spend time with my grandfather, my sister, and my parents each week. I make time to have date nights with my girlfriend. I see friends whenever we can make the time. The best part of seeing my loved ones is not only does it benefit my mental wellness, but it does theirs too. We feel safe to be ourselves in the company of our loved ones. I struggled for years with loneliness, and I recently read a study explaining the detrimental effects on our mental and physical health caused by loneliness can shorten a lonely person's life. While I prioritize healthy physical habits, the most important decision I make for my mental wellness is to spend time with others.

I have loved music since I was little. I sing and play some guitar, and have performed in a few concerts myself because I was in my high school choir. From having performed myself, I know firsthand how much work it takes to put on a good show. Just this past weekend, I went to a special concert. A friend of mine from college is in a band with his brothers, and they played a show an hour and a half from my house. My friend is a farmer, and I saw him at the local farmers market, the weekend before the show, and he told me they had a show the following weekend if I wanted to attend. I wanted to be a supportive friend, and because I love live music, I decided to attend. My sister and I made the hour-and-a-half trek to a little town in northern Kentucky, where we pulled up to a little building where they hosted their farmers market. We walked to a field behind the market, where we saw a trailer that would serve as the stage and a small sea of lawn chairs where the audience was forming. Initially, my sister was not excited to attend. She's 16, and sometimes teenagers aren't always eager to try new things. However, she had a change of heart when she realized there were tents around the field where local vendors had set up, and she could get her face painted AND have a balloon animal made for her. She came back to her chair with a butterfly painted on her face and the cutest balloon flower I've ever seen. My friend introduced us to his brothers, his wife, and his parents before taking a seat behind his drum set. With a set full of covers, including such classics as "Copperhead Road," "Dixieland Delight," "Neon Moon," "Sweet Home Alabama," and some modern hits such as "Wagon Wheel," the brothers played a dynamic, high energy show. I was entertained by the quality music well-played by my friend and his family, but I also left with a full heart because of the kindness with which they all received my sister and me. As far as my first concert, my mother and I traveled to see a Contemporary Christian Music concert in Mason, Ohio. The headliner of that show was and is my favorite band of that genre, Casting Crowns. We sat on a bench at the auditorium of Kings Island, the amusement park where the concert was held, in the intense summer heat. I still say the experience was worth the unpleasantness of the heat. The set Casting Crowns played was inspirational and full of hits from their years as a band. We went to see them in 2015, and their debut album was released in 2003. When my mom and I left, our hearts were full, and I was grateful she worked so hard to be able to give me that experience. To this day, my mom jokes that she did something right by taking me to this concert because it started my frequent concert-going. I'm grateful she did. The attached image is a selfie I took with my sister at our friend's show.

When reading the questions posed by the prompt for this essay, one powerful verse of Scripture comes to mind immediately: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6, NIV). Jesus spoke these words to his disciples, conveying a clear message: following him is the only path to salvation. Keeping this in mind, I find myself encouraged in times of trouble. When I have trials and doubts, I try to remember to fix my focus on God and his promises. Jesus expresses the truth of God's word during his prayer in John 17: "Sanctify them through thy truth: Thy word is truth" (John 17:17, KJV). God and his word are the foundation upon which all truth stands. God assures us that his word, unlike the things of this world, will stand forever: "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:8, NKJV). In three verses alone, the Bible tells us that God and his word are truth and that this truth is eternal. Without these principles, our faith is meaningless. As the verses cited previously explain, if Christ is truth, he is the objective standard for all truth. The idea of every individual having their truth reduces truth to a subjective standard. While it is true that most people generally will have similar moral values based on a social contract, the idea of individuals "living their truth" is not a good one. We live in a society with unprecedented levels of mental illness. Most people have stories of painful trauma inflicted on them by others. Just yesterday, a training I did for my job shared that in the United States, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men report being victims of sexual abuse. Many people across the planet still live with scars from war and atrocities committed in the past century. Many Americans still remember 9/11, the Iraq war, and the war in Afghanistan, among other conflicts. In other parts of the world, atrocities such as the Iron Curtain, the Khmer Rouge, the Rwandan Genocide, and others still haunt the lives of millions. In a world with so much pain and darkness, unity around the God who promises to create a new Heaven and new Earth with no suffering (Revelation 22:4) provides unshakable hope. The world sells an empty idea of self-centeredness when pushing the concept of "living your truth." Trying to make sense of the world based on our perspective alone doesn't give us hope when our circumstances are beyond our control. We are finite beings. Therefore, the idea of living our truth makes truth finite by definition. I am thankful for God defining what truth is. "For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us" (Psalms 103:11-12, KJV). This psalm is one of my favorite verses of Scripture. Our Father loves us as high as Heaven is above the Earth, so Jesus was sent to carry our sins as far as the East is from the West. Christ's death and resurrection is the ultimate gesture of love. These events were how God reconciled humanity to Himself. When Jesus said he was the way, the truth, and the life, he established that he was the objective hope for all of humanity. All we have to do is reject the pridefulness that is chasing our "truth" and trade it for Jesus.

This summer, I am working through my first major internship. I started it this week, and I am beyond excited. I initially thought that my hour commute would be boring and would dampen my experience. I got excited when I realized I could listen to audio-books while driving. I have already finished a great book this week! It is called Unscripted, by Ernie Johnson Jr. He was a prominent voice in my childhood as the host of TNT's Inside the NBA, but his story is remarkable. He is an extremely humble man with a legendary career. However, I was most impacted by the heart he and his wife had for children. They adopted a boy from Romania who was called "no good" by the nurse who first showed the baby to Mrs. Johnson. He had muscular dystrophy. Ernie Johnson Jr. told the story of how his son loved telling others "love you too" even if it was said to him first. He would join the high school basketball team, though he could not play, and would even receive an honor on senior night. The Johnsons would walk into the gym that night, where everyone would be holding up "love you too" in sign language. Stories like this inspire me. I have always enjoyed reading autobiographies. I read to learn. Nonfiction has always been my favorite genre. While many great lessons can be taught through fiction, I prefer reading true stories and books that can teach different topics. Reading teaches people to value learning. Not long ago, I worked a half day in a library at a local elementary school. I am a substitute teacher, and I excitedly accepted a posting for the librarian in the school. I would teach her afternoon class. At roughly 1:00 P.M. a crowd of first graders walked in the library doors, and their teacher directed them to sit on the carpet. I grabbed the book the librarian left for me to read, sat in her rocking chair, and did my best to capture the attention of the children. I think I did well. There were laughs, there were questions, and there were smiles on their faces. My heart was full of joy for them. After the story, I set them up at tables, where they made a craft related to the story. I walked around helping them, and they were happy. My heart was full from the little words of encouragement they gave me. After I helped a girl with her gluing, she looked up to say "Mr. Cook, you're so nice." As I continued walking, another student said "Mr. Cook, you have really nice hair." In my view, anytime a student gives me any kind of compliment or encouragement it is because I have somehow enriched their life, and I am blessed that I get to do that. I tell that story to illustrate how much I care about the education of the children I work with, but to also give an example of how reading brings people together. I have been able to attend book clubs and talk about stories with other adults. I have learned facts from books I can teach in my classes. I have been motivated and inspired by books. My faith has been strengthened by books. I am passionately pursuing a career in education, partially due to my love of books. Literacy is often taken for granted in western culture. Not every culture has the gift of easily accessible reading that we have. It is to be cherished, and I am happy I get to teach that to others.

In 2021, I was unsure of what I wanted to study In college. Previously, I had tried human services, history, and computer science, and I didn't enjoy any of those fields. In spring 2021, I made the decision to try agriculture. I figured that since I loved my time in FFA when I was in high school I might enjoy working in the agricultural field. When the day came when I would meet the advisor of my local community college's agriculture program, I did not realize that I would call him a friend by 2024. As I went through the community college agriculture program, I took as many in person classes with him as possible. I loved the way he taught. He was a kind man, and worked with his students whenever we needed help. For example, I had to complete an internship for my degree. I had recently been promoted to a department lead position at my full time job before I was set to start working the internship. I needed something as part time as possible. He wanted me to pass, so he made a deal with me. He has an older friend who raises cattle, but struggles with a bad knee. As long as I helped his friend when help was needed, he agreed to pass me for the internship class. Once or twice a week I would drive out to the friend's cattle farm, and work as hard as I could. I fell in love with cattle. I learned so much from this experience, and I was glad I had the opportunity to help someone who needed it. My former advisor has also invited me to work on a few projects on his farm, and though I was helping him, he was excited that I was excited about being there. I helped build a few miles of fence on the farm, and he kept talking about how glad he was that I was able to learn the efficient fencing system we were using so I may use it on my own farm in the future. He often opens up his farm to educational opportunities, hosting farm tours and doing workshops. He gives as much effort as he can teaching his classes at the college. He travels to beef industry events. He gives talks at agricultural workshops. He serves as vice president of his county's cattlemen's association. My former college advisor set an example of the kind of professional I wanted to be. He cares deeply about improving his community. I tell this story because I also want to educate. I currently work as a substitute teacher for my county school district, so I already am an educator. However, I want to teach college students. Between the lessons of my former college advisor and various other adults, I try to maintain a servant's heart. My grandmother exemplified a life of service in her 50 year career as a registered nurse. Growing up, she was a hero to me. I am exhilarated by making the lives of others better. I have a natural ability to explain ideas to others clearly, and I desire to use that gift to invest in the future. Each day I try to remember to ask myself how I can be a fountain, and not a drain. I get to do my best to make the lives of others better. In teaching college students, I will be able to reach adults who choose to come to my classroom to learn. I can teach them to be stewards of the planet by teaching agriculture.

It has been almost a full year since I began working in education. I had spent nearly 3 years working retail full time, and I was beyond ready for a change when I became a substitute teacher. I remember thinking my job would be easy, but I wanted to be exceptionally good at it. I have always been driven to pursue success. After all, to become a substitute, I would resign from being a team lead of a bustling front end at a busy store. I have seen many leaders that act as if their teams are little more than just human capital. I made sure to allow my teams their breaks, and made sure they had all the tools they needed for success. I led by example, and on the busy days, I worked in the trenches with them. To prevent my team from drowning in busy customer traffic, I did my job as their leader to support them. This is how I took care of their mental health. I did everything I could to ensure they were successful. I decided to carry this same attitude with me when I transitioned into education. Teachers are the leaders of the students in their classroom. When teachers show a commitment to learning, love their subject, and choose to care deeply about their students, the students are much more successful. Both business leaders and teachers are expected to drive for results. Business leaders drive for sales, capital, and other business metrics. Teachers drive for the success of their students in the classroom; they work so the students may have high GPA's, high test scores, and a measurable work ethic. Business leaders equip employees for success and teachers equip students for success. Often, those of us who work in education wish our students could better understand that us teaching them to be successful in school is supposed to prepare them for the expectations of the workplace. Keeping those ideas in mind, my experience working in business leadership translated well to the classroom. Every time I see a student quietly sitting alone staring off into space, or I see a student who is clearly upset, I make it a point to check on them and inquire about their circumstances. Rarely do I ever raise my voice, because I do not wish to trigger the anger or the anxieties of any students. I wish I could say I never yell, but there are times when it is the best solution to look out for the well-being of the overall class. I genuinely love my students. As a substitute teacher, I have an opportunity to provide the kids with a different experience than what they have from their actual teacher. When I cover a class, I spend time walking around and talking to the students. I ask them about their future plans, and inquire about the things they value from their education. I often have the opportunity to have conversations about life with my students. The students who know me often feel comfortable opening up about things happening in their lives, and I get asked for life advice quite frequently. I consider it a blessing when I have the opportunity to impart what wisdom I do have to my students. I have a get to job, not a got to job. I get to invest in the future by playing a role in shaping young minds. I try to teach them to take care of their mental health by making the lives of others better. Serving others almost always makes anyone's mental health better.

Books are powerful. When I was learning to read, I always heard my teachers talk about books as channels to explore places we have never been before. I developed a love for nonfiction at a young age. I spent lots of time in the library absorbing books about history, science, music, and pop culture. When it comes to fiction, I have always preferred allegorical stories. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee), Brave New World (Aldous Huxley), The Screwtape Letters (C.S. Lewis), and Great Expectations (Charles Dickens) are a few favorites. I want to focus on John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress as the book I would want everyone to read. As a Christian, this book has deeply enhanced my faith. Regardless of the reader's faith background, this book is remarkably beneficial. The plot follows the main character, Christian, as he travels from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City while carrying a great burden with him. Along the way, he moves through such places as the Slough of Despond, the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and Vanity Fair. Christian leaves his wife, Christiana, and their four sons behind. The second half of the book follows them as they decide to follow Christian and make the journey themselves. This book is as obvious of an allegory as it could possibly be. Bunyan published the book back in 1678, and as a puritan pastor, he desired the work to be as accessible to the masses as possible. As the titles of the places within the novel are obvious about what they represent, the names of the characters are too. Some of Christian's friends throughout the novel are Faithful, Hope, Evangelist, The Interpreter, Help, and Goodwill. Christiana and the children are escorted by Mr. Greatheart, and find help from some of the same characters that helped Christian, as well as some new ones. There are various characters that represent various vices and temptations as well, like Pliable, Lord Hate-good, Mr. Worldly Wiseman, Mr. Talkative, Ignorance, Giant Despair, The Flatterer, and Mr. Fearing. I was stricken by the obviousness of the allegorical characters and places throughout the novel. This story challenged me to be kinder and to practice more wisdom in my conduct. Most of all, the book encouraged me to remain steadfast and pay close attention to the thoughts and actions I choose to entertain. I can't recommend The Pilgrim's Progress enough.

Growing up, I struggled with mental health issues. I was diagnosed with ADHD early in my childhood, and I struggled to remain focused on many tasks. As an adult, I still have to be deliberate in my actions when I go to study. I wrestle with impulse control, and I constantly have to be fidgeting or up walking around. I've learned better techniques to manage those aspects of my behavior as I've gotten older because I lived in a home that took mental health seriously. In my life, I follow the example I learned at home. For a time, I worked in retail leadership. As a leader, I desired to emphasize the importance of taking care of myself and those around me. I always prioritized mental health. My team and I worked the front end of a busy store, constantly dealing with customers. I always encouraged my team to partner with me or others in leadership to ensure they get breaks to prevent themselves from struggling with excess anxiety or burnout. My team thrived when I led, and it was because I led by example. I deeply cared about them as individuals, and I did my best to take care of them and equip them with skills for success. My grandmother spent her last 20 years before retirement working as a drug rehabilitation nurse. While she could not talk much about what she experienced at work due to confidentiality, sometimes it was apparent that her patients affected her emotionally. This wasn't a bad thing. My grandmother cared deeply about her patients and her coworkers. To do the work she did, however, she had to be able to take care of her mental health. She always said that people cannot pour from an empty cup. Watching her lead with a servant's heart and dedicating herself to others was an example I always wanted to follow. She taught me some of the ways she took care of her mental health to be able to live the life she led. She was very strict about her hygiene. She showered daily, made sure her hair was neat, took care of her skin, and was precarious about her dental hygiene. When she passed, she was 72 years old and still had all of her natural teeth. She also emphasized the importance of sleep. She never slept less than 7 hours a night. She prioritized how important being responsible about physical health is for preserving good mental health. One of the most important principles I have learned in life is gratitude. Because I struggle with ADHD and with bouts of depression, I could easily let my circumstances define who I am. I could live my life as a victim. As comfortable as that would be, I refuse to let my story be that of a victim. Victim and victory may have the same prefix, but they tell different stories. I have a great family, great friends, a career, the ability to attain a quality education, and civil liberties I would not have in many other places in the world. I've not had to endure many struggles my ancestors did. I'm human, I definitely complain sometimes. However, I try to remember that to be healthy, I have to keep a good attitude. I work in education currently, as a substitute teacher. Working in a school is not easy. The kids don't always act with respect, and they don't always take their work seriously. I struggle with sensory overload sometimes when my classes get loud. Even so, I give my best effort to remember that I am blessed to be able to work with the kids, and I get to leave a positive contribution in their lives if I choose to do so. This is something to be thankful for. When dealing with students and staff, and with every interaction I have outside of work too, I strive to be a fountain, and not a drain. One of the principles I followed in my leadership was to maintain my authenticity. I have never enjoyed working for leaders who were too "by the book," and too uptight to be able to establish much of a personal repertoire with those who they lead. I have always followed the principle that good leaders are people that others want to follow. Who an individual is as a leader is an outpouring of their personal character. All of these same principles apply whenever I lead a classroom. In relation to mental health in the professional setting, these principles work circularly. In order to maintain good personal character, good mental health is important. In order to maintain good mental health, good personal character is important. My struggles with depression have sometimes held me back from performing in full capacity academically and professionally, or I turned down opportunities to make a positive impact on others. On the opposite side of the coin, whenever I have been more deliberate about my mental health I have been a better servant and a harder worker. I have found that kindness and altruism are often influential in curing poor mental health. Both my struggles with mental health and the examples set by other people throughout my life have taught me a variety of lessons. I have learned that to best take care of my mental health, I must be diligent in my conduct. I must take care of my physical health, maintain good friendships, practice gratitude, live by principles and not by emotions, value my family, model integrity, work hard, and put forth my best effort in everything I do. I must be a giver and not a taker, spreading hope to others. I have to be willing to use my story to be a light. I choose to pray for the well-being of others. Darkness doesn't last forever, and in being kind to those around me, I make their lives better. As I said before, I want to be a fountain, not a drain.

When I was a young boy, I spent much of my time in the library. I read many books about history, philosophy, and a few about science. I was bullied as a child, so books became a dear friend to me. As a consequence of my reading habits, I grew successful throughout my time in school. Due to that success, I saw myself as someone who would pursue a life in academia. I thought I would likely teach history at a university one day. While I may still teach somewhere in the future, the direction of my studies as an adult are not at all where I imagined they would be all those years ago in my hometown library. The change of plans began in my 9th grade year. I took the "principles of food and agriculture" class offered by my high school. After this class, I joined FFA and became extremely involved in our high school chapter. I participated in competitions, worked often in the school greenhouse, did research for project-based contests, and climbed up to becoming a chapter officer. I even took a college level agriculture class my senior year out of dedication to the program. As much as I loved FFA, I did not grow up on a farm. I deemed this made me unqualified to pursue agriculture in college. When I graduated high school I decided to try studying computer science. I hated this, so I attempted human services. I wasn't particularly happy there either, so I finally decided to give majoring in agriculture a chance. My insecurities were deep when I started the agriculture program at my community college. To this day, I sometimes still struggle at agricultural industry events because I feel out of place from not having much farm experience compared to many of my peers. My advisor definitely knew this was a struggle I had when I enrolled. After all, I was extremely vocal as I became successful in the agriculture program there that I did not have a farm background. I was working to learn and to overcome this challenge. My advisor set me up interning on a cattle farm owned by his friend. He would even invite me to his own farm to work alongside him on projects. I now call him a friend, and without him, I would not have the deep love of agriculture I have today. I saw how much he loved the land, loved his students, and loved making his community better. My advisor set an example for me. As a Christian man, I believe my life should be dedicated to service. I love the phrase "be a fountain and not a drain," and I attempt to reflect this in all I do. I want to dream small and stay in a small community, and make that community better. I want to raise a family, and make all of their dreams come true. The impact I make in my own community will be my contribution.

Last month, I went to a concert. Concerts are not usually places one would consider mental health, but I went to a Christian concert. These concerts usually include deeper themes in the lyrics than many secular songs. My favorite band of this genre is called Casting Crowns, and they have so much music that has impacted me greatly throughout my life. They played one of their hits early in the set, and I found myself screaming the words of the bridge with much enthusiasm: "Lay down, lay down your old chains, come now and take up your new name." As a Christian, I believe that Jesus makes all things new. I began wondering why I did not live accordingly. Then two weeks ago, I drove to the agricultural extension office in a neighboring county. I will be interning there this summer, and I was greatly impacted by meeting the extension agent I will work for. She shared some powerful stories of her battles with mental health, and some painful stories she encountered. She showed me a brochure she made when interviewing for her role, sharing statistics surrounding the bleakness of mental health in rural communities, and some opportunities for those people. I kept a copy, just out of being so touched by the example she led. In full transparency, writing this essay is helping me to think through these experiences. I mentioned the idea of my "old chains" and how they affect my mental health. As a child, I was bullied physically by some of my neighbors. They would beat me up, and ridicule me. I would go to school and get bullied, excluded, and mocked for being "strange"or "odd." When it came to dating, I was never cool enough to find a girlfriend in high school. I would not enter my first serious relationship until my early twenties (the one I am in now, perhaps ironically). I was great at English and social studies in school, but I was always behind in math, and still struggle in my math classes as an adult. I worked the same retail job for four years, desiring to work hard enough to lead my own department. It took me four years of repeated failure to finally land a role. I have two associate's degrees that took me five years to earn, because I could not make a decision on what exactly I wanted to do, and I dropped out of college twice because I couldn't handle college algebra. I would work so hard for success, and then would see people from better financial situations than I had growing up who just seemed so much cooler and smarter than I was, and it seemed like I had to give so much more effort to even compare. Of course, this resulted in deep rooted bitterness and jealousy, which I hated about myself because I know those are traits I'm not supposed to have as a Christian. All of these experiences together, among other small experiences I can't even remember, taught me that I was and would never be good enough. I battle with periods of depression from time to time, and if I ever find myself struggling or failing, those old wounds try to resurface in my life. I came to learn that hating myself to the level in which I did made it a struggle for those who loved me. My family and friends would often tell me truth to counter the lies I told myself, but I would (and in difficult times sometimes still do) ultimately choose to live by the stories I told myself about who I am. I used to think about finding a career that would just pay my bills and allow me to coast through life, but my struggles have changed me. I sincerely believe God allows hard times in our lives to mold us into better, stronger, and kinder people, and he will never waste a single tear. I am a substitute teacher now, and I sometimes hear my students tell me stories of struggles they have in their lives, and I can think back to when I've been where they are and give them guidance and encouragement, and see them benefit from it. I want my students to look up to me, and see me reflect character that will make them want to do the same in their own lives. It makes my heart happy to go to any one of the three schools I frequent and hear the students get excited that they get to see Mr. Cook. I remember once at a middle school I got to work with a student on understanding some math concepts, and the very next week he was walking by in the hall and poked his head into my class, saying "wow, you guys get Mr. Cook today. You guys are lucky." As meaningful as those compliments are, I am so happy I get to be a good influence to them every day. Whatever the next phase of my career is, I plan to hold the same commitment to loving and building others, and finding joy in their growth and success. I am studying agriculture, I will get to use my career to educate people and directly influence the future of food security in my community. To me, this is a privilege, and everything I've been through will make me a better steward of the people I will and do come into contact with. In the end, it all ties back to my faith. God has plans for me, and will work all things together for my good. I sincerely believe this promise. As far as my "chains," the self hatred, the bitterness, the anger, they aren't who I am. I am not defined by mental health struggles, and I have the power to choose not to live based on how I feel. I am thankful for everything I have been through, and for being able to write this essay.

I have always valued serving others, and so I love to do volunteer work whenever I can, but finding the time to do so is often a struggle. I'm a 22 year old agribusiness major, with two jobs: I substitute teach, and I have a retail job. A few weekends ago, however, I found myself at a park in my hometown, where the Central Kentucky Community Foundation is establishing a community orchard. I planted one tree and six bushes, and learned after the work was done that our group of volunteers planted 53 plants in one hour. There were men and women, young and old, and many small children working together to build an orchard to provide food for my community. I left that day excited that I could use my passion for agriculture to do something meaningful for the future of those who will grow up in my hometown. More than I am passionate about agriculture, I am passionate about Jesus. I was always taught that He is the way, the truth, and the life. He has blessed me in so many ways, and God is teaching me to be patient, kind, and loving. So far, I've been successful in academia, I've worked in leadership for a few years in retail, and I've worked in education. As a Christian, it has bothered me so much to see people who only look out for themselves. For example, I've seen "leaders" intentionally not teach people everything they know to be successful because they will then be a threat to their success, at least in their own eyes. Another toxic trait that bothers me is seeing people who do not work well by not giving much effort. The Apostle Paul wrote that anyone who isn't willing to work should not eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10-13). The Bible also implores us to do all our work as if we are doing it for the Lord (we are, if we are to advance his kingdom) and to live with integrity. I strive to be different, and do ministry by my actions. The world should hold Christians to a higher standard; they have a right to do so because of the character God calls Christians to have. Christians are supposed to reflect him. In my life, that calling will be answered by my pursuing a career in agriculture, where I directly will play a role in feeding the world and providing a stable future for the world. I will work hard, and I will work with integrity. I do already, trying to influence my students for the better and give them an example to look up to. If I've learned anything, children listen more to what we do than we say. I hope to do this as a father as well. In the next phase of my career, I want to be able to teach people to provide food for themselves, how to take steps at an individual level to take care of the environment, and to live clean, honest professional and personal lives. As much as I am able to do so, I want to point to Jesus as the reason for any positive character trait that I can ever display, because all my accomplishments and actions will be forgotten eventually. I believe that the only name that can last forever is Jesus, and I want my life to reflect this. I love that I was able to write this essay, and reflect on my life with gratitude.

I have always valued serving others, and so I love to do volunteer work whenever I can, but finding the time to do so is often a struggle. I'm a 22 year old agribusiness major, with two jobs: I substitute teach, and I have a retail job. A few weekends ago, however, I found myself at a park in my hometown, where the Central Kentucky Community Foundation is establishing a community orchard. I planted one tree and six bushes, and learned after the work was done that our group of volunteers planted 53 plants in one hour. There were men and women, young and old, and many small children working together to build an orchard to provide food for my community. I left that day excited that I could use my passion for agriculture to do something meaningful for the future of those who will grow up in my hometown. How I found myself planting bushes on this cold Saturday morning is in some ways a point of culmination for the past few years of my life. I graduated from my local community college's agriculture program last fall, and now take online classes towards an agribusiness degree at Murray State University, in Kentucky. I first learned to care about agriculture at my high school FFA program. My advisor was excellent, and he and I are actually going to attend a Temple Grandin lecture together in a few weeks. Despite graduating several years ago, he still inspires me. When I graduated high school though, I didn't feel as if I was passionate enough to major in agriculture. After about a year and a half of being indecisive about what to study in college, I walked into the advisor's office for the local community college's agriculture department on a cold fall morning. I soon found myself in animal science class with the advisor (he teaches all the classes) and I found a passion I didn't know I had. He would invite me to farm tours with his livestock management class despite my not being enrolled in that class, he set me up to intern on a local cattle farm, helped me land an internship I will work this summer for the University of Kentucky extension program, invited me to work with him on his farm to build my skills, and brought me to work with him at our state fair and twice at Kentucky Farm Bureau's beef exposition, and has exposed me to many other opportunities. The volunteer work I did in that community orchard that I previously mentioned; I only knew of this because he forwarded me an email about it, thinking that I would want to help. He once showed me his capstone for his master's degree, where he explained that many people come into agriculture today are just like me: They were not exposed to agriculture until they discovered an agricultural education program. I did not grow up on a farm, and found myself gaining as much experience as I could as an adult. I have been greatly influenced by the agricultural world. I am beyond grateful that I discovered this great industry I never even thought about as a kid. I can actively contribute to food security for the future, and live the values of integrity, honesty, and hard work in my own life while teaching them to others. I want to spend my life in agriculture, doing my part to take care of my community and build a future for those who will come after me.

On August 5, 2019, I walked into the front doors of my local Academy Sports and Outdoors for my first day of work. I was a recent high school graduate, and was excited l landed my first job. In my mind, the plan was to work at Academy for 6 months, save some money, then move to a University and pursue the same path as many of my peers. 6 months pass, and I enroll in my local community college. At the time, I thought that I would just do my general education classes, and then I would leave. In May 2023, I graduated with an Associate's in liberal arts, and in December 2023, I graduated again with an Associate's degree in sustainable agriculture. I then transferred to Murray State University, in Kentucky, to finish out a Bachelor's degree, which is where I am now. Ironically, I'm doing this entirely online. Why am I doing this degree online? The answer is this: I've actually built a more successful career than I thought I would at home. Academy eventually made me a department team lead, after working for two years as a floor employee, and one year as a lead cashier where I focused on coaching and developing other employees, and learning the leadership skills to take over a department. When I took over the store's front end operations, I learned skills to lead effectively in order to operate a business well. I learned communication. I learned about driving for results. I learned about planning and organizing. Most importantly, I learned how to serve the people I led, helping to develop them both as professionals and as human beings. I loved my team, and wanted their success. I love being able to help develop the skills of other people, and watching them grow. After some time in this position, I resigned to work as a substitute teacher for my county school district. I have grown quite popular across multiple schools I visit with staff and students, and I love getting to make a difference every single day in the lives of my students. I've done a lot of side work too: I've interned on a cattle farm, I worked for a season landscaping a graveyard, and one summer I helped build a few miles of fences on a farm. During my entire time pursuing higher education, I've worked to build a professional resume while trying to fund my educational aspirations. I've worked hard in every role I've accepted, and I want to practice integrity in all I do. I try my best every single day when I work with my students, and when I log in to my computer to do my homework. I am very proud of the career I'm building up to, and all of these steps I've taken I'm deeply thankful for. Without pursuing work while I am in school, I would be missing important time management skills, leadership skills, opportunities to practice what I learn in my classes, relationships I would not have had otherwise, and probably many other things I wouldn't have experienced otherwise. I'm appreciative that by doing this essay, I have been able to take the time to appreciate all the people in my life, the experiences I've had, and the opportunities I have received. While balancing work and school is challenging, and many times frustrating, what it has done for my development as a person is worth every challenge. My story about balancing work and school in my mind is one of success, because I had unique challenges and unique opportunities that make my educational journey different from many other students. I have learned to appreciate everything that comes my way, and even hard times are a gift. I strive to be a giver and not a taker, and I do not compromise my morals for money or for a stronger resume. I have been adaptable, because my life looks nothing like I thought it would when I was 18. Success is a person who gives their best effort and lives with integrity. When a person with integrity goes to work, they create a positive workplace. That is what I want to do with my future. Wherever I go, I want to make that place or organization better than it was before I came. This opportunity to help fund my education through this scholarship will allow me to have less financial burden in the future, and will allow me to build a future for myself, and for everyone I work with, and for my future children. I am very appreciative of this opportunity.

I remember a day in October 2016, I was a sophomore in high school, and I was doing laundry. I was pretty bored, like most high school students are at home sometimes. I lived with my parents, my grandparents, and my younger sibling. As I was folding clothes, I heard a yell from the living room. My grandmother had a stroke. My grandfather and my mother were quite shaken, and that day, we did not understand just how much life was about to change. After taking my grandmother to the doctor, we learned that there was a chance that her health could get worse, so my grandma decided it was time to retire. I've looked up to her my entire life, and I still do. She had spent 50 years as an RN, dedicating her entire life to helping others. The last 20 years of her career was spent as a mental health and drug rehabilitation nurse. She could not talk about much of her experiences at work, but you could tell at times that there were times she was very emotionally invested in her patients. She would tell me some stories, and I always hoped that I could grow up to serve others like she did. Her and I were always close. Time passed, and my grandmother ended up having three more strokes. As her health continued to deteriorate, the kidney disease she had been diagnosed with years before continued to get worse. She moved into stage 4 kidney disease, which led to her receiving dialysis treatments she hoped she would never have to get when she was diagnosed with kidney disease in the early 2010s. At home, we all stood together trying to take care of my grandma, we all loved her dearly. In September 2018, my grandma no longer wanted to receive dialysis. Her body was tired, and she was not recovering. We called hospice, and she lived eight days after stopping treatment, spending several of them asleep. Her brother came from another state to visit, and we all spent time together knowing the day was coming. We did not know when that would be, so me and my sister were going to return to school on September 25. I was a senior in high school. I woke up early that morning, and I did not hear the rattle-like sound she had been making in the days prior. I went to her bedroom, checked her pulse, felt her forehead, and I knew she had gone home. We are a Christian family, and we all have hope that one day we will see her again. I went to school the next morning in a suit, and led prayer outside the front of the school. Many of my classmates were hugging me and giving me words of encouragement, and I knew my grandma would be proud. I know my story is not one that is as bright, but I am glad that I get to share my grandmother's story. I recently had seen one of my grandmother's former co-workers when she presented me an award for being named our local rotary club's student of the month for September 2023, and she told me my grandmother cared deeply about her coworkers and her patients, and she led a great example for those who worked with her. She told me my grandmother was a gifted nurse who was very knowledgeable about good medical care. Though I am pursuing a career in agriculture, I hope that I can follow the example she set for me.

On August 5, 2019, I walked into the front doors of my local Academy Sports and Outdoors for my first day of work. I was a recent high school graduate, and was excited l landed my first job. In my mind, the plan was to work at Academy for 6 months, save some money, then move to a University and pursue the same path as many of my peers. 6 months pass, and I enroll in my local community college. At the time, I thought that I would just do my general education classes, and then I would leave. In May 2023, I graduated with an Associate's in liberal arts, and in December 2023, I graduated again with an Associate's degree in sustainable agriculture. I then transferred to Murray State University, in Kentucky, to finish out a Bachelor's degree, which is where I am now. Ironically, I'm doing this entirely online. Why am I doing this degree online? The answer is this: I've actually built a more successful career than I thought I would at home. Academy eventually made me a department team lead, after working for two years as a floor employee, and one year as a lead cashier where I focused on coaching and developing other employees, and learning the leadership skills to take over a department. When I took over the store's front end operations, I learned skills to lead effectively in order to operate a business well. I learned communication. I learned about driving for results. I learned about planning and organizing. Most importantly, I learned how to serve the people I led, helping to develop them both as professionals and as human beings. I loved my team, and wanted their success. After some time in this position, I resigned to work as a substitute teacher for my county school district. I have grown quite popular across multiple schools I visit with staff and students, and I love getting to make a difference every single day in the lives of my students. I've done a lot of side work too: I've interned on a cattle farm, I worked for a season landscaping a graveyard, and one summer I helped build a few miles of fences on a farm. During my entire time pursuing higher education, I've worked to build a professional resume while trying to fund my educational aspirations. I've worked hard in every role I've accepted, and I want to practice integrity in all I do. I try my best every single day when I work with my students, and when I log in to my computer to do my homework. I am very proud of the career I'm building up to, and all of these steps I've taken I'm deeply thankful for. Without pursuing work while I am in school, I would be missing important time management skills, leadership skills, opportunities to practice what I learn in my classes, relationships I would not have had otherwise, and probably many other things I wouldn't have experienced otherwise. I'm appreciative that by doing this essay, I have been able to take the time to appreciate all the people in my life, the experiences I've had, and the opportunities I have received. While balancing work and school is challenging, and many times frustrating, what it has done for my development as a person is worth every challenge.

The world is changing rapidly. By 2050, the world is estimated to reach over ten billion people. This comes with challenges. Technology is rapidly growing and changing, for the better or for the worse, or both, depending on who you ask. There is a growing number of people facing mental and physical health challenges, and as there always has been, there are many people globally who experience poverty and financial hardship. As the world population increases, it seems as if these problems will only be amplified. However! This does not have to be the case. I am an agribusiness major at Murray State University in Kentucky. I have five years of experience in retail, two of them being in leadership. I work currently as a substitute teacher for my school district. Being only 22 years old, I am far from having all the answers to the problems that the world faces. However, working in retail and working in education, along with my post-secondary education, has given me some insight into how important is is for businesses to have sustainable practices. The most important reason I can give for these sustainable practices is that I want to do my part for providing a good future for the children that I serve every school day, as well as my own children I may have in the future. I have a responsibility to take care of my community, and a way to do this is to spread awareness of sustainable business practices. After all, I have a degree in sustainable agriculture, I should be able to speak to this topic. The first concept I would like to share is very basic. Businesses should practice lean.The basic definition of lean is removing all value-adding practices and eliminating waste from production. If businesses can produce less surplus (especially in the food industry, which has so much waste) they both save money and have less product that ends up being trashed. Businesses can reduce waste by ordering fewer supplies, maintaining equipment, and mastering time management to ensure they have the best use of the resources they are using. Another important sustainable practice is investment in people. While this principle does not necessarily apply as much to environmental concern, a business sustains itself by curating an environment of growth. I have personally seen "leaders" who will intentionally not train people to be as successful as they could because they saw their trainees as a threat to their own success. If a business tolerates these self centered bosses and they fill leadership roles, a business will cut itself off from future development because their values are not in check. I have always cared deeply about the personal success of those who have worked under me, which comes first, but I should teach those under me to be able to carry on the future of the company that I work for. If a company is to even be able to do anything in the long term about their carbon footprint, the business itself must be healthy. This last practice is much shorter, but it is important nonetheless. The school district I work for encourages us to unplug microwaves, lamps, etc. in our classrooms before every break, and to ensure computers and lights are all off. For a school district, this saves tons of money while conserving energy. If businesses made this a daily practice, energy waste, therefore carbon footprints, would be greatly reduced. We all must do our part to ensure a clean future, but these three practices are big steps businesses can participate in.