I am currently going into my Junior year at the University of Wyoming Studying Animal Science with a minor in Equine Science. Throughout college I have paid my way through on my own. Having to work three jobs during the first two years of college. I started at a Junior college back home. I worked at a stable cleaning stall for 10-20 hours a week. While also working for a cutting horse trainer and on a cattle ranch, and for an agricultural chemical and fertilizer supplier. There was many times I had 18 units and worked for 60 hours or more. During these two years I also held a GPA of 4.0. I bought my vehicle with cash and have paid 100% for it myself.  My goal was to be able to transfer out to the University of Wyoming at the top scholarship I could in order to graduate debt free. I am now going into my Senior year and have been able to pay off each semester without any loans. Having to keep grades up while working multiple jobs has been difficult. As I get to my senior year I am finishing up the upper-level science classes it is harder to work multiple hours making enough to pay for rent, food, gas and keep my grades up. I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I will also o use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. While I would not change the way I grew up for in any way, on thing I never learned how to handle was emotions. I knew how to work hard, help others, support the community and chase my dreams. When I failed or when difficulties came up I never knew how to handle them. This translated into years of hardship and even the small difficult things in life building up. Unfortunately I also had a family member who was hard on me and made sure I knew I could never add up or be enough for them. I would even say to others that mental health is not real. Counseling and therapy is for the weak and does no good. All growing up even my friends still to this day remember how I have always said emotions are for the week. The only emotions I ever knew growing up was to be happy or anger. I always thought to work hard, help others, and chase your dreams. While none of this is wrong, I could never even cry about things. Even when my cousin died at 2 days old, when my dad had open heart surgery and was in the bottom 5% of complications and we did not know if he was going to make it. My siblings and parents even today would say they never saw me cry much in life. Nothing got to me because I was strong. Any sort of crying to tears is seen as a weakness and a way for anyone to be able to hurt you or try to control you in any way of life. I never realized how important emotions were and much I needed to learn how to handle them and process life's emotions. This all came to light and I had to face mental health head on in January of 2025. Only 5 months ago. I was in my Junior year of college the weekend before the start of the Spring semester. I loved school, and Wyoming. But there was many things from the past I had never delt with and many personal relationships in the family that were hard. January 17, 2025 I attempted to commit suicide. Only by God's grace did my cousin answer her phone and my roommates came home two hours early and found me on the ground and saved my life. Many people did not know what I was really going through. Even my best friend said she had no idea I was even so depressed. I was cutting, throwing up and losing weight, drinking all day and every night to be able to go sleep. Suddenly I had grown extremely anxious over everything in life. Thankfully I had friends and families who made it so I did not have to work 50 hours a week while taking classes. I had an aunt and uncle who paid for my food and gas each month and paid for me to go to counseling. This was the start of me learning what emotions and mental health was. These past months I have grown to learn how much emotions do not mean weakness. Crying or pain does not have to equal anger. While I am still not fully in a healthy mental state all of the time. I am working on it. There have been many conversations with friends now, and also being able to help others, not getting mad when others cry or are dealing with something hard. It's also grown relationships by being able to open up and be more honest with friends and family. When I was in high school, part of my home was difficult, there was many days when I did not go home and spent the night at a friends house. This friends family lived on a ranch, they had a room I could stay in. I could just show up and they never asked questions unless I wanted to talk. They allowed me to keep my animals on their property. They were a safe place for me as a teenager trying to get good grades, learn more about animals, and figuring out my home life. I hope I can be a blessing like this to other kids, and even adults in my community. I want to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. Not only this, but I hope to have a farm where kids and teens can even come for a day, and their parents will know they are safe. Knowing its okay to cry, even to just have to talk something through or journal something. Working on the ranch can help to get energy out while learning and growing a work ethic. I hope to be a safe place for many others and support their mental health.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I would also like to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how undervalued and underappreciated ag was. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I will also use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. I am very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I would also like to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry . I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I would also like to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry . I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep their ranch going. I would also like to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry. I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I would also like to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry . I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I would also like to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry . I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I would also like to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. Success means to impact others for the better. To improve someone else's life without gaining a thing. I want to be able to spread more awareness about the importance of ag, while also showing others why many love ag. Being able to learn more through animal science will help me to be successful in helping farmers, ranchers and the future generations. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry . I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I would also like to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry . I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

I was born and raised on a farm in the Central Valley of California. I was blessed to be raised I a close and larger extended family. I grew on our family farm, my grandparents, cousins, and my family all lived on the same property. With more family just a few houses down the road. I grew up going to my grandma's house everyday. Many cousins would end up over there too. Grandma's house was always a place where anyone was welcome at anytime. My grandparents also owned a property just above Yosemite National Park, called Saddle Bag Lake Resort. It was at 10,000 feet elevation, with over 20 lakes to fish from, multiple creeks, amazing views, and great hiking area. It is what many people consider to be the most beautiful place on earth. My grandparents bought Saddlebag they year the oldest grandchild was born. All of my cousins and I grew up going there every summer and working up their for the summer once we were old enough. My family was also very competitive, we all played multiple different sports growing up. I personally player soccer, baseball, basketball, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, barrel racing, poll bending, acrobats, and ballet. I enjoyed being able to do a wide variety of sports alongside family. Although many years we were not on the same teams, we were all able to practice and make memories together. Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. The main time of year for farmers is harvest. My family farmed walnuts and almonds in the Central Valley of California. August - Mid November is harvest time, meaning the walnuts and almonds are ready to be removed from the trees in a process called harvesting. They are then sent to what is called a huller. My family owned and operated a walnut huller. At age 10 I started working full time on the walnut huller, picking debris and bad nuts off of the huller line while in operation. Over the next few years I started to move up the line at huller. I started by looking into the paper work and helping my dad and older brothers with it. I began doing this at 12years old. I understood the process of the paperwork and I enjoyed paperwork. I helped my dad with filling AP's and AR's in the office for the farm too. With in two years by the time I was 14 years old I had taken over the paperwork for the huller. This included tracking all truck loads brought in, stored, hulled, dried, and loaded out. Whenever a load of walnuts was on the huller property I was in charge of making sure there was no mix ups. I also started to help run the huller, I now filled the peerless trailers. After walnuts have gone through the huller and only good clean walnuts are left, they are poured into 5 ton peerless trailers. I would fill the trailer and tow it to a drying spot where I would start the dryers and keep track of when the walnuts are dried and ready to be sent to the sheller. Outside of harvest time I help around the farm, with irrigation systems, planting, fertilizing, and many other tasks. I saw how hard my dad and brothers worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I would also like to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry . I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. Even those who live around farms and ag do not appreciate how important agricultural is to the economy. Agriculture taught me just how important it can be to know what is around you and better understand how others live, and learn to appreciate and support them. One of the best and main ways you can do this is by traveling, being able to go in person see, experience, and talk to those living a different life than you are. I was blessed to grow up in a household which road tripped all over the united states. My siblings and I were also homeschool and my mom worked all of our road trips into our education. We would learn about the history of Washington D.C. each, monument, what every battle field stood for. Then we were able to drive from California to Washington D.C. and see everything we had learned about. It helps to remember and appreciate those who have come before us and those around us. Even outside of the country, seeing how different people live can help respect and communication to grow between others. When we stop talking, and understanding each others cultures we stop being able to peacefully see other countries. Traveling is a way we can understand and grow our knowledge and appreciation for others. Traveling can also lead to new ideas and innovations, seeing how others use the same resources differently can help to improve and grow the economy. Being able to see the world through a different point of view can open so many new doors of inspiration and growth. Although we may not agree with every culture, or view, many times before seeing it in person or talking with someone who lives there we do not fully understand. We are able to grasp the differences and realize how everyone is trying to make the best world still. We just all go about it differently. Traveling can also help people to understand why differences are good. For the whole world to not operate the exact same. Instead to push each other to be our best. Just as in a small farming town in the Central Valley of California, there is so much to see and learn in ag. The different farms I see the more I understand and appreciate and can find new ways to support ag. This is true for every industry, culture, environment and views of the world. The more we are able to travel, the more knowledge, understanding and development we gain.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I would also like to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry . I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. Following graduation I plan to work in the field of animal nutrition. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, to help understand how they can best care for their animals while also feeding the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I will also use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of children's lives and have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I would also like to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry . I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I would also like to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry . I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

“If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.” – Winnie the Pooh The summer of 2015 was the first summer we spent in our new home. We moved the previous fall from the home I had known all my life. My grandparents lived across the driveway to the right of our house and my cousins two orchards over to the left. Between my cousins house and ours was a large grass field my grandparents had with fruit trees because they wanted a place for their grandkids to play. My cousins and siblings baseball and soccer practices were held there regularly, often coached by my dad, or uncle. The baseball field was just a few miles down the road. I had soccer league friends, dance friends and church friends. But this summer felt different. I was in a new place, and a new season of life. Throughout this summer I didn’t have many friends at all. All of my sports had come to a close, and those friendships ended with them. So I dove into the word of God knowing it was the best place to go. Through this not only did I learn the importance of friendship but also and more importantly how to rely on God. God graciously took his time to answer my prayer. He wanted me to know and understand just how powerful and in control He is. He wanted me to know he was for me and wanted to bless me with genuine friendships for his glory. He wanted to teach me that he was to be the reason for desiring and growing in friendship. Truth is we were not made to do life on our own. Needham reminds us, “Our calling is a corporate one. Following Jesus is an individual decision but not an individual assignment. We are a chosen race not a chosen person. We are royal priesthood, not a royal priest. We are a holy nation a people for his own possession. We are not on this journey by ourselves.” Unfortunately, in this broken world, there are broken friendships; counterfeit concerns for one another with a payout of selfish gain, and togetherness that leaves one feeling still alone. Our souls are thirsty. Thirsty for the living water, Jesus. But our natural bent is to look for something outside of the one who created us. We want to be validated. Desired. Liked. Needed. We want the people we most value to approve of your choices & decisions. Friendships have the power to shape our lives. They can move us forward into a greater relationship with our creator God or pull us back to worship an idol from an ideal that replaces who is meant to be our first love. The perfect friendship is an allusion. But we can have a perfect friend in Jesus. It is through him and in his power that we have the strength to love well, forgive and live at peace with all men. John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. Pointing our friends to Jesus who is living water for our thirsty souls will be the real truth of a friendship. Since the summer of 2015, God has spun his truth, the truth of his word, through my friendships. It is only in my continued growth and understanding of the holiness of God that I can live this life side by side in true friendship.

Growing up as a 5th generation walnut farmer my family has seen the beneficial impact technology can make, even within the agricultural industry. Harvest is the busiest time for farmers. A walnut huller is a processing facility which brings the walnuts in from the orchards picks out all of the bad and prepares the walnuts to be shipped to the consumer. At 10 years old I started working full time on my families walnut huller. I started working on the line clearing debris from the walnuts. Over 30 years ago we would have only been able to process around 80,000 pounds of walnuts within a 12 hour work day. Many times depending on the quality of the walnuts you have run the equipment a lot slower therefore, we would only process around 40,000 pounds those days. We used to have over 10-15 people needed to help clear the debris. As technology has progressed, we are now down to 2 - 3 people needed. This is because of the advancement's in technology which are able to scan the walnuts and pick out the bad or rotten walnuts. This has made is possible for my family to process over 400,000 pounds of walnuts in just one day. Because of technology we have been able to grow our family farm, to hire more workers and service more customers. I have decided to pursue a career within the Animal Science industry. While I will be working with animals not trees or walnuts technology has also helped to improve the animal science industry. We are able breed animals in a safer, less dangerous, effort with a higher success rate through artificial insemination. We have also seen how the dairy industry has grow and is now an extremely efficient industry due to automatic feeders, gates, milking systems, tags. There are now technological systems which can tell the farmer when a cow is sick, or not eaten all their feed as usual. I have personally experienced the benefits from technology and seen how it has helped our family farm to grow. I plan to use technology in order to help with the raising, feeding, and nutrition of livestock. I hope to be able to bring about advancements to help ranchers. Helping ranchers to better track the health of their cattle and the nutrients needed. Technology can help to improve the overall efficiency and maximize the production of the agricultural industry. Upon graduating college with an Animal Science degree there is a multitude of different technologies, especially within the cattle business that are hard for ranchers to implement and use. I hope to be able to help the ranchers better understand, utilize and improve their ranches with the technology. Even tracking cattle, being able to see when they are sick, understanding how to use technology to pregnant animals. There can be a large difficultly that I have seen first hand when trying to explain and show how technology can help in the agricultural field. I will be able to help improve ranches and their animals health by utilizing technology.

Growing up as a 5th generation walnut farmer my family has seen the beneficial impact technology can make, even within the agricultural industry. Harvest is the busiest time for farmers. A walnut huller is a processing facility which brings the walnuts in from the orchards picks out all of the bad and prepares the walnuts to be shipped to the consumer. At 10 years old I started working full time on my families walnut huller. I started working on the line clearing debris from the walnuts. Over 30 years ago we would have only been able to process around 80,000 pounds of walnuts within a 12 hour work day. Many times depending on the quality of the walnuts you have run the equipment a lot slower therefore, we would only process around 40,000 pounds those days. We used to have over 10-15 people needed to help clear the debris. As technology has progressed, we are now down to 2 - 3 people needed. This is because of the advancement's in technology which are able to scan the walnuts and pick out the bad or rotten walnuts. This has made is possible for my family to process over 400,000 pounds of walnuts in just one day. Because of technology we have been able to grow our family farm, to hire more workers and service more customers. I have decided to pursue a career within the Animal Science industry. While I will be working with animals not trees or walnuts technology has also helped to improve the animal science industry. We are able breed animals in a safer, less dangerous, effort with a higher success rate through artificial insemination. We have also seen how the dairy industry has grow and is now an extremely efficient industry due to automatic feeders, gates, milking systems, tags. There are now technological systems which can tell the farmer when a cow is sick, or not eaten all their feed as usual. I have personally experienced the benefits from technology and seen how it has helped our family farm to grow. I plan to use technology in order to help with the raising, feeding, and nutrition of livestock. I hope to be able to bring about advancements to help ranchers. Helping ranchers to better track the health of their cattle and the nutrients needed. Technology can help to improve the overall efficiency and maximize production of the agricultural industry.

I've been blessed to grow up in a home with a biblical foundation. This not only has shaped my life but also the life of others, and my family. From a young age I was taught the gospel, at even 6 years old I had a childlike understanding of the bible. At this time I struggled with being bratty, bossy, stubborn and thinking I knew it all. Even at 6 I saw how at times it hurt my relationship with my brothers and friends. I knew that I was a sinner, and sin causes eternal separation from God. If I wanted to be able to change my ways, and not to have the wrath of God one day in hell, I needed to bow my knee to Christ. To give up my ways and thoughts and instead live for Him and as Christ wanted me to. After giving my life to Christ and growing in the Word of God more I saw Him change me. Through being able to admit when I'm wrong, learning how to control being bossy and stubborn. As I grew up and got older God has completely shaped my life. The summer of 2015 was the first summer we spent in our new home. We moved the previous fall from the home I had known all my life. My grandparents lived across the driveway to the right of our house and my cousins two orchards over to the left. Between my cousins house and ours was a large grass field my grandparents had with fruit trees because they wanted a place for their grandkids to play. My cousins and siblings baseball and soccer practices were held there regularly, often coached by my dad, or uncle. The baseball field was just a few miles down the road. I had soccer league friends, dance friends and church friends. But this summer felt different. I was in a new place, and a new season of life. Throughout this summer I didn’t have many friends at all. All of my sports had come to a close, and those friendships ended with them. So I dove into the word of God knowing it was the best place to go. Through this not only did I learn the importance of friendship but also and more importantly how to rely on God. God graciously took his time to answer my prayer. He wanted me to know and understand just how powerful and in control He is. He wanted me to know he was for me and wanted to bless me with genuine friendships for his glory. He wanted to teach me that he was to be the reason for desiring and growing in friendship. Through different activities and church groups I quickly gained lifelong Christian friends. I was raised on a family farm and I am currently attending college in pursuit of my animal science degree. I hope to be able to work in the nutrition industry after graduating college. Additionally, I plan to be involved in the local community by helping kids with their animals. FFA or 4-H or independent, I was blessed to have a solid Christian women to look up to who helped me with my animals. I saw how she was able to show me how to work with Animals and use they to glorify God. How helping others can be a ministry and show the gospel even through your work ethic. I hope to have a farm where kids are able to come and here the gospel while having a safe, fun, a loving environment.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I would also like to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry . I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I would also like to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry . I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

Growing up on a 5th generation family farm in the Central Valley, from a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I was 16 years old and it was harvest time on the farm. Which is the busiest time for farmers, 20 hour days of hard labor on your feet were common. I ran a walnut huller with my older brothers. After walnuts are gathered from the field they come to the huller where they are cleaned, dried, and ready to be cracked and sold to the consumer. During harvest as breakdowns happen people are exhausted and tired, especially working with your family and older brothers it was easy to get frustrated with one another. We all worked well together as we have worked our whole lives alongside each other. But when your older brother only a few years older than you is your boss and gets to tell you what to do. Many times little fights or agreements would happen. A specific harvest I will never forget was when I was 16 and running the walnut huller. This was one of the worst harvest in the last 100 years, there was rain during harvest, we had daily breakdowns. Anything that could go wrong went wrong. We are a small family farm and to run the equipment and huller we need experienced people and those who understand the huller and how to fix it. You have to be a bit of a mechanic working at the huller. My brothers, dad and I had not had a day off in over a month. We were working nearly 18-20 hours every day. And it is not a normal day's work, it is exhausting, stressful, hard work. I will never for get the day we started work at 6am and by 8am had a break down, of a belt in the huller snapping, it took 6 hours to repair this belt. We had to find a new belt with the specific modifications, pull the broken belt and replace it with the new one. This may sound simple, but this is a thick large, long, steal belt, it has rungs spaced out so dirt will come of the walnuts, but not big enough gaps to let the walnuts fall through. After 6 exhausting hours in 90 degree heat, we fixed it! We started the huller back up and ran for about an hour, until the new belt snapped. This had never happed in years, yet it happened twice. We now had another 6 hour fix ahead of us. My brother ran to a local agricultural supply store which had a belt in stock. It was about 2 hours away. We live out in the country on the farm, not near many people or stores. The nearest Starbucks was a minimum of 45 minutes away, it was never a place we visited often either. Being a 16yr Starbucks was a treat. For whatever reason when my brother was on his way back with the belt, he stopped by Starbucks and got me my first pumpkin spice latte. I will never forget when he brought that drink back. After that day from now on whenever I think of a pumpkin spice latte, I think of my family, the farm, and hard work. What shaped my life growing up and who I am today. That no matter what hardships life throughs your way, hard work, your family, and a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte will always get your through it.

If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.” – Winnie the Pooh The summer of 2015 was the first summer we spent in our new home. We moved the previous fall from the home I had known all my life. My grandparents lived across the driveway to the right of our house and my cousins two orchards over to the left. Between my cousins house and ours was a large grass field my grandparents had with fruit trees because they wanted a place for their grandkids to play. My cousins and siblings baseball and soccer practices were held there regularly, often coached by my dad, or uncle. The baseball field was just a few miles down the road. I had soccer league friends, dance friends and church friends. But this summer felt different. I was in a new place, and a new season of life. Throughout this summer I didn’t have many friends at all. All of my sports had come to a close, and those friendships ended with them. So I dove into the word of God knowing it was the best place to go. Through this not only did I learn the importance of friendship but also and more importantly how to rely on God. God graciously took his time to answer my prayer. He wanted me to know and understand just how powerful and in control He is. He wanted me to know he was for me and wanted to bless me with genuine friendships for his glory. He wanted to teach me that he was to be the reason for desiring and growing in friendship. Truth is we were not made to do life on our own. Needham reminds us, “Our calling is a corporate one. Following Jesus is an individual decision but not an individual assignment. We are a chosen race not a chosen person. We are royal priesthood, not a royal priest. We are a holy nation a people for his own possession. We are not on this journey by ourselves.” Unfortunately, in this broken world, there are broken friendships; counterfeit concerns for one another with a payout of selfish gain, and togetherness that leaves one feeling still alone. Our souls are thirsty. Thirsty for the living water, Jesus. But our natural bent is to look for something outside of the one who created us. We want to be validated. Desired. Liked. Needed. We want the people we most value to approve of your choices & decisions. Friendships have the power to shape our lives. They can move us forward into a greater relationship with our creator God or pull us back to worship an idol from an ideal that replaces who is meant to be our first love. The perfect friendship is an allusion. But we can have a perfect friend in Jesus. It is through him and in his power that we have the strength to love well, forgive and live at peace with all men. John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. Pointing our friends to Jesus who is living water for our thirsty souls will be the real truth of a friendship. Since the summer of 2015, God has spun his truth, the truth of his word, through my friendships. It is only in my continued growth and understanding of the holiness of God that I can live this life side by side in true friendship.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I would also like to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry . I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I would also like to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. I hope to be able to help other kids and families grow their own garden's in a simple, effect way while also saving money and learning. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry . I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, also how under valued and appreciated ag is. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every ingredient of food. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I will also use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. I hope to be able to find new ways to feed animals that give them the proper nutrients while also still being affordable for the ranchers. Which is changing due to the prices of commodities, and drought, storms always changing. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry . I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

“If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.” – Winnie the Pooh The summer of 2015 was the first summer we spent in our new home. We moved the previous fall from the home I had known all my life. My grandparents lived across the driveway to the right of our house and my cousins two orchards over to the left. Between my cousins house and ours was a large grass field my grandparents had with fruit trees because they wanted a place for their grandkids to play. My cousins and siblings baseball and soccer practices were held there regularly, often coached by my dad, or uncle. The baseball field was just a few miles down the road. I had soccer league friends, dance friends and church friends. But this summer felt different. I was in a new place, and a new season of life. Throughout this summer I didn’t have many friends at all. All of my sports had come to a close, and those friendships ended with them. So I dove into the word of God knowing it was the best place to go. Through this not only did I learn the importance of friendship but also and more importantly how to rely on God. God graciously took his time to answer my prayer. He wanted me to know and understand just how powerful and in control He is. He wanted me to know he was for me and wanted to bless me with genuine friendships for his glory. He wanted to teach me that he was to be the reason for desiring and growing in friendship. Truth is we were not made to do life on our own. Needham reminds us, “Our calling is a corporate one. Following Jesus is an individual decision but not an individual assignment. We are a chosen race not a chosen person. We are royal priesthood, not a royal priest. We are a holy nation a people for his own possession. We are not on this journey by ourselves.” Unfortunately, in this broken world, there are broken friendships; counterfeit concerns for one another with a payout of selfish gain, and togetherness that leaves one feeling still alone. Our souls are thirsty. Thirsty for the living water, Jesus. But our natural bent is to look for something outside of the one who created us. We want to be validated. Desired. Liked. Needed. We want the people we most value to approve of your choices & decisions. Friendships have the power to shape our lives. They can move us forward into a greater relationship with our creator God or pull us back to worship an idol from an ideal that replaces who is meant to be our first love. The perfect friendship is an allusion. But we can have a perfect friend in Jesus. It is through him and in his power that we have the strength to love well, forgive and live at peace with all men. John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. Pointing our friends to Jesus who is living water for our thirsty souls will be the real truth of a friendship. Since the summer of 2015, God has spun his truth, the truth of his word, through my friendships. It is only in my continued growth and understanding of the holiness of God that I can live this life side by side in true friendship.

Growing up on a 5th generation walnut farm I saw how amazing and difficult the agricultural industry is. From a young age my siblings and I all worked on the farm, we knew what long hours, and hard physical labor was. I saw how hard my dad worked, while also how under valued and appreciated ag was. Many people do not understand that ag is responsible for every single ingredient of food. Although I will not be taking over our family farm, I chose the career path of Animal Science in order to help those in ag. After graduating with an animal science degree, I hope to work in the field of animal nutrition as a nutritionist. Many ranchers have a personal nutritionist for their animals, beef cattle and dairy cattle are a major part of the industry. They have a nutritionist come out to help see how they can best care for their animals while also giving the most affordable feed. Many times this is complicated, it is not a simple or easy task. Through my education I hope to be able to help ranchers understand and find new ways to feed their cattle all of the necessary nutrients they need while also being able to make a profit and keep the ranch going. I would also like to use my knowledge and experience to teach in the local community and school programs. Students need to be taught how to properly and nutritiously feed and care for an animal. 4-H and FFA have been major parts of the central Valley of California and where I have been blessed to live. These have helped many kids who do not grow up or now anything about ag understand what farmers and ranchers do, and even help them to grow a simple garden. Having a few fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and potatoes can feed a family when times are tough. Growing up on a farm, their was more than one year of that. But because we used the resources we had, we were able to feed a large family just from what was grown on the property. Growing up in an agricultural community, I observed and experienced a variety of different agricultural jobs and sectors in the ag industry. Raised on a walnut and almond farm, I worked with row crops. My experience riding and competing on horses from the age of 10 allowed me to experience the ranching side of agriculture. I helped friends gather and brand their cattle and on a cattle ranch while also working with a horse trainer. I attribute all of these opportunities to the growth of my desire to further my education in agriculture. I desire to bring understanding through education and experiences to the next generation about the value and importance of the agricultural industry . I feel very blessed to have been raised on a family farm and in an agriculturally strong community that values work ethic and a job well done. Growing up in agriculture has built into my character fortitude and perseverance. I have learned to push through long days and beyond exhaustion to get the job done. The generations of men and women that have built our community have influenced my desire to want to continue in this industry. I look forward to continuing my education both in and out of the classroom.

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship. – Thomas Aquinas "Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together." Woodrow Wilson “If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.” – Winnie the Pooh The summer of 2015 was the first summer we spent in our new home. We moved the previous fall from the home I had known all my life. My grandparents lived across the driveway to the right of our house and my cousins two orchards over to the left. Between my cousins house and ours was a large grass field that was a formerly walnut orchard. My grandparents had the orchard torn out and replaced with grass and lined with fruit trees because they wanted a place for their grandkids to play. My cousins and siblings baseball and soccer practices were held there regularly, often coached by my dad, or uncle. I had soccer, baseball, and basketball league friends, dance friends and church friends. I grew out of some of these activities, and I dropped some by choice. But even as I did, I continued to have opportunities to meet new people and make friends. But this summer felt different. I was in a new place, and a new season of life. Throughout this summer I didn’t have many friends at all. All of my sports had come to a close, and those friendships ended with them. This was the first time I started to feel lonely, like the world was spinning around me and I was not moving at all. It felt like no one had noticed. So I dove into the word of God knowing it was the best place to go. Through this not only did I learn the importance of friendship but also and more importantly how to rely on God. God graciously took his time to answer my prayer. He wanted me to know and understand just how powerful and in control He is. He wanted me to know he was for me and wanted to bless me with genuine friendships for his glory. He wanted to teach me that he was to be the reason for desiring and growing in friendship. Author Kelly Needham in her book Friend-ish states, “It has been said that friendship may be more important than marriage because not everyone will marry but everyone needs friends.” Truth is we were not made to do life on our own. Mrs Needham reminds us, “Our calling is a corporate one. Following Jesus is an individual decision but not an individual assignment. We are a chosen race not a chosen person. We are royal priesthood, not a royal priest. We are a holy nation a people for his own possession. We are not on this journey by ourselves.” Unfortunately, in this broken world, there are broken friendships; counterfeit concerns for one another with a payout of selfish gain, and togetherness that leaves one feeling still alone. Our souls are thirsty. Thirsty for the living water, Jesus. But our natural bent is to look for something outside of the one who created us. We want to be validated. Desired. Liked. Needed. We want the people we most value to approve of your choices & decisions. As Mrs Needham states, “This is how we know we are letting our friends replace Jesus as judge in our lives - when we prefer their glory over his.” When we run to our friends instead of Jesus to fulfill our deepest longings it isn’t a real friendship. This neediness eventually sucks the life out of our friendships and turns them into a shell of feel goods and pats on the back. Deep refining honest conversations are replaced by shallow “weather talk”. Friendships have the power to shape our lives. They can move us forward into a greater relationship with our creator God or pull us back to worship an idol from an ideal that replaces who is meant to be our first love. Friendships are an avenue for us to live out the gospel as we extend grace to one another when we have been offended or offer patience through actively caring for a struggling friend. It is through these hurts we experience in our relationships that God exposes us, changes us and sanctifies us. The perfect friendship is an allusion. But we can have a perfect friend in Jesus. It is through him and in his power that we have the strength to love well, forgive and live at peace with all men. John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. The daily pursuit of God produces consistent fruit in friendships. Once you have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, you want others to know this same goodness. And it is from that place we move forward with a generous spirit to bring them to Jesus In Mark 2:3-5, four friends did just this. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Their faith in Jesus shaped their understanding of what it means to be a friend. Pointing our friends to Jesus who is living water for our thirsty souls will be the real truth of a friendship He has taught me as Job 6:14 says “He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.” It is only in my continued growth and understanding of the holiness of God that I can live this life knowing I am never truly alone.

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship. – Thomas Aquinas "Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together." Woodrow Wilson “If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.” – Winnie the Pooh The summer of 2015 was the first summer we spent in our new home. We moved the previous fall from the home I had known all my life. My grandparents lived across the driveway to the right of our house and my cousins two orchards over to the left. Between my cousins house and ours was a large grass field that was a formerly walnut orchard. My grandparents had the orchard torn out and replaced with grass and lined with fruit trees because they wanted a place for their grandkids to play. My cousins and siblings baseball and soccer practices were held there regularly, often coached by my dad, or uncle. I had soccer, baseball, and basketball league friends, dance friends and church friends. I grew out of some of these activities, and I dropped some by choice. But even as I did, I continued to have opportunities to meet new people and make friends. But this summer felt different. I was in a new place, and a new season of life. Throughout this summer I didn’t have many friends at all. All of my sports had come to a close, and those friendships ended with them. This was the first time I started to feel lonely, like the world was spinning around me and I was not moving at all. It felt like no one had noticed. So I dove into the word of God knowing it was the best place to go. Through this not only did I learn the importance of friendship but also and more importantly how to rely on God. God graciously took his time to answer my prayer. He wanted me to know and understand just how powerful and in control He is. He wanted me to know he was for me and wanted to bless me with genuine friendships for his glory. He wanted to teach me that he was to be the reason for desiring and growing in friendship. Author Kelly Needham in her book Friend-ish states, “It has been said that friendship may be more important than marriage because not everyone will marry but everyone needs friends.” Truth is we were not made to do life on our own. Mrs Needham reminds us, “Our calling is a corporate one. Following Jesus is an individual decision but not an individual assignment. We are a chosen race not a chosen person. We are royal priesthood, not a royal priest. We are a holy nation a people for his own possession. We are not on this journey by ourselves.” Unfortunately, in this broken world, there are broken friendships; counterfeit concerns for one another with a payout of selfish gain, and togetherness that leaves one feeling still alone. Our souls are thirsty. Thirsty for the living water, Jesus. But our natural bent is to look for something outside of the one who created us. We want to be validated. Desired. Liked. Needed. We want the people we most value to approve of your choices & decisions. As Mrs Needham states, “This is how we know we are letting our friends replace Jesus as judge in our lives - when we prefer their glory over his.” When we run to our friends instead of Jesus to fulfill our deepest longings it isn’t a real friendship. This neediness eventually sucks the life out of our friendships and turns them into a shell of feel goods and pats on the back. Deep refining honest conversations are replaced by shallow “weather talk”. Friendships have the power to shape our lives. They can move us forward into a greater relationship with our creator God or pull us back to worship an idol from an ideal that replaces who is meant to be our first love. Friendships are an avenue for us to live out the gospel as we extend grace to one another when we have been offended or offer patience through actively caring for a struggling friend. It is through these hurts we experience in our relationships that God exposes us, changes us and sanctifies us. The perfect friendship is an allusion. But we can have a perfect friend in Jesus. It is through him and in his power that we have the strength to love well, forgive and live at peace with all men. John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. The daily pursuit of God produces consistent fruit in friendships. Once you have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, you want others to know this same goodness. And it is from that place we move forward with a generous spirit to bring them to Jesus In Mark 2:3-5, four friends did just this. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Their faith in Jesus shaped their understanding of what it means to be a friend. Pointing our friends to Jesus who is living water for our thirsty souls will be the real truth of a friendship He has taught me as Job 6:14 says “He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.” It is only in my continued growth and understanding of the holiness of God that I can live this life knowing I am never truly alone.

Growing up as a 5th generation walnut farmer my family has seen the beneficial impact technology can make, even within the agricultural industry. Harvest is the busiest time for farmers. A walnut huller is a processing facility which brings the walnuts in from the orchards picks out all of the bad and prepares the walnuts to be shipped to the consumer. At 10 years old I started working full time on my families walnut huller. I started working on the line clearing debris from the walnuts. Over 30 years ago we would have only been able to process around 80,000 pounds of walnuts within a 12 hour work day. Many times depending on the quality of the walnuts you have run the equipment a lot slower therefore, we would only process around 40,000 pounds those days. We used to have over 10-15 people needed to help clear the debris. As technology has progressed, we are now down to 2 - 3 people needed. This is because of the advancement's in technology which are able to scan the walnuts and pick out the bad or rotten walnuts. This has made is possible for my family to process over 400,000 pounds of walnuts in just one day. Because of technology we have been able to grow our family farm, to hire more workers and service more customers. I have decided to pursue a career within the Animal Science industry. While I will be working with animals not trees or walnuts technology has also helped to improve the animal science industry. We are able breed animals in a safer, less dangerous, effort with a higher success rate through artificial insemination. We have also seen how the dairy industry has grow and is now an extremely efficient industry due to automatic feeders, gates, milking systems, tags. There are now technological systems which can tell the farmer when a cow is sick, or not eaten all their feed as usual. I have personally experienced the benefits from technology and seen how it has helped our family farm to grow. I plan to use technology in order to help with the raising, feeding, and nutrition of livestock. Just as we have seen in the dairy industry, I hope to be able to bring about advancements to help ranchers. Helping ranchers to better track the health of their cattle and the nutrients needed. Technology can help to improve the overall efficiency of the agricultural industry.

Growing up as a 5th generation walnut farmer my family has seen the beneficial impact technology can make, even within the agricultural industry. Harvest is the busiest time for farmers. A walnut huller is a processing facility which brings the walnuts in from the orchards picks out all of the bad and prepares the walnuts to be shipped to the consumer. At 10 years old I started working full time on my families walnut huller. I started working on the line clearing debris from the walnuts. Over 30 years ago we would have only been able to process around 80,000 pounds of walnuts within a 12 hour work day. Many times depending on the quality of the walnuts you have run the equipment a lot slower therefore, we would only process around 40,000 pounds those days. We used to have over 10-15 people needed to help clear the debris. As technology has progressed, we are now down to 2 - 3 people needed. This is because of the advancement's in technology which are able to scan the walnuts and pick out the bad or rotten walnuts. This has made is possible for my family to process over 400,000 pounds of walnuts in just one day. Because of technology we have been able to grow our family farm, to hire more workers and service more customers. I have decided to pursue a career within the Animal Science industry. While I will be working with animals not trees or walnuts technology has also helped to improve the animal science industry. We are able breed animals in a safer, less dangerous, effort with a higher success rate through artificial insemination. We have also seen how the dairy industry has grow and is now an extremely efficient industry due to automatic feeders, gates, milking systems, tags. There are now technological systems which can tell the farmer when a cow is sick, or not eaten all their feed as usual. I have personally experienced the benefits from technology and seen how it has helped our family farm to grow. I plan to use technology in order to help with the raising, feeding, and nutrition of livestock. I hope to be able to bring about advancements to help ranchers. Helping ranchers to better track the health of their cattle and the nutrients needed. Technology can help to improve the overall efficiency of the agricultural industry.

“If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.” (Winnie the Pooh) The summer of 2015 was the first summer we spent in our new home. We moved the previous fall from the home I had known all my life. My grandparents lived across the driveway to the right of our house and my cousins to the left. I had soccer, baseball and basketball league friends, dance friends and church friends. This summer was different. Throughout this summer I didn’t have many friends at all. All of my sports had come to a close, and those friendships ended with them. So I dove into the word of God knowing it was the best place to go. Through this not only did I learn the importance of friendship but also and more importantly how to rely on God. That fall, I started meeting more girls at our church and discovered sweet new friends. New families also joined our debate club and in both places I found kindness, genuineness and camaraderie. Time spent together turned into memory making adventures. God graciously took his time to answer my prayer. He wanted to teach me that he was to be the reason for desiring and growing in friendship. Truth is we were not made to do life on our own. Unfortunately, in this broken world, there are broken friendships; counterfeit concerns for one another with a payout of selfish gain, and togetherness that leaves one feeling still alone. Our souls are thirsty. Thirsty for the living water, Jesus. But our natural bent is to look for something outside of the one who created us. We want to be validated. Desired. Liked. Needed. We want the people we most value to approve of your choices & decisions. Mrs. Needham states, “This is how we know we are letting our friends replace Jesus as judge in our lives - when we prefer their glory over his.” Friendships have the power to shape our lives. They can move us forward into a greater relationship with our Creator or pull us back to worship an idol from an ideal that replaces who is meant to be our first love. Friendships are an avenue for us to live out the gospel as we extend grace to one another when we have been offended or offer patience through actively caring for a struggling friend. It is through these hurts we experience in our relationships that God exposes us, changes us and sanctifies us. The perfect friendship is an allusion. But we can have a perfect friend in Jesus. It is through him and in his power that we have the strength to love well, forgive and live at peace with all men. John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. The daily pursuit of God produces consistent fruit in friendships. Their faith in Jesus shaped their understanding of what it means to be a friend. Pointing our friends to Jesus who is living water for our thirsty souls will be the real truth of a friendship. Since the summer of 2015, God has spun his truth, the truth of his word, through my friendships. He has taught me as Job 6:14 says “He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.” It is only in my continued growth and understanding of the holiness of God that I can live this life side by side in true friendship.

Having someone to admire can put them in a spotlight of perfection. You may at times see them as being perfect. Thankfully for me this was not the case for the person I admire, instead I saw every little flaw and loved to point them out to him. My older brother Caleb is only 4 years older than me, yet someone I have always admired and looked up to. Not because he was perfect by any means, but because of his work ethic, drive, and dependability. Caleb is one who shows up to every game, helps you practice, while also having a busy life chasing his own dreams. Growing up I watch my older brother and was glued by his side. I always have admired his ability to fail while in the spotlight, while learning and growing from his failure. He never has let failure stop him, he has always kept going and working hard. Even during the changeling times, Caleb worked hard to pursue his goals. In high school we competed in a national debate league called Stoa. Caleb had a goal to become the top speaker and debate team in the nation. There are hundreds of competitors and he knew this would take years of hard work. Meetings with top economist, and understanding many topics he was told he was to young to understand. By his Senior year of high school, I watched by older brother at the national final tournament make it to the final debate round, and become the best speaker in the nation. This took years of hard work, I'll never forget walking into the room where hundreds of people would sit to watch him debate in the final round, he walked up to me and gave me a hug and said "I did it, I'm here, this is what the years of hard work has lead to and paid off". Following in my older brothers footsteps, At 12 years old I began my first year of competing in National Homeschool Christian Speech and Debate. For the next years my family would travel all across the United States competing in Speech and Debate. When I was 8 years old my older brothers started speech and debate, I enjoyed going and watching the debates, mainly policy debates. I quickly began to learn and understand what was going on in the real world and how our economy, world trade, and the government worked. Then at the age of 12 I was finally old enough to start speech and debate. We would travel to different tournaments located at colleges all over the United States. Tournament where anywhere from 1 - 7 days long, there was over 10 different competitive speeches, and 4 types of debate. I wanted to be able to further my understanding of the real world. Seeing how what we were debating was a current issue and topic. We had to fully understand both sides of the argument. I enjoyed having to defend a bill saying to end all foreign aid in one debate, and in the next debate having to argue the exact opposite. Having to understand both sides of the argument has grown me to be able to better discuses and understand the different belief's ideals and morals of others. I choose speech and debate to grow and prepare myself for the future. To be able to critically and logically think while being able to properly articulate and communicate my ideas. Our judges in debate were anywhere from the common man, to doctors, lawyers, economists. I learned how to speak to everyone and anyone.