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Hobbies and interests
4-H
Agriculture
Animals
Beekeeping
Farming
French
Track and Field
Swimming
Soap Making
Showing Livestock
Sewing
Horticulture
Piano
Shooting
FFA
Reading
Adventure
Action
Folk Tales
Cookbooks
Humor
I read books multiple times per week
Sophia Saurino
1,095
Bold Points1x
Finalist![user profile avatar](https://static.bold.org/profilePictures/barbourcountyshowman9766d8625e174a5694be4bf30eb69411.webp)
Sophia Saurino
1,095
Bold Points1x
FinalistBio
Growing up, I have always been sure of one thing regarding my future: I want to pursue a career involving livestock/animals. As I have matured and gained experience in the agricultural world, I have been able to elaborate on this dream and come up with a specific goal path. After high school, I will go to school and intern on the farm at WVU to major in Animal Science and Nutrition and minor in Agribusiness. Following that, I would work locally as a livestock nutritionist while saving up to accomplish my long-term goal of taking over and expanding my family's small dairy to a commercial one. My family has been milking a small herd of dairy goats for a long time now but has never had the resources to take it to a Grade A level. Being able to make this jump and expand on our farm would be a dream come true and set me up for a life of doing what I love. In addition, I intend to continue work promoting the dairy industry and the importance of sustainable and diverse local agriculture.
During my free time while still in high school, I love working with my animals, competing in livestock shows, running track and cross country, hanging out with friends/family, and much more. I believe that to live life to its fullest, you might as well shoot for your goals and spend it doing what you love. So, that's exactly what I am here to do!
Education
Preston High School
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Bachelor's degree program
Majors of interest:
- Animal Sciences
Career
Dream career field:
Farming
Dream career goals:
Open up a small commercial dairy while working as a livestock nutritionist.
Providing hoof trimming/shearing services to customers' livestock
Entrepreneurship2021 – Present3 years
Sports
Track & Field
Varsity2020 – 20244 years
Cross-Country Running
Varsity2019 – 20234 years
Research
Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians
FFA — Researcher/Presenter2023 – 2023
Arts
4H
Photography2015 – Present
Public services
Volunteering
4H — Teen Leader2022 – 2023
Future Interests
Advocacy
Volunteering
Entrepreneurship
Inguz Memorial Scholarship
My heart was racing. It was time for the 2am kid check in the barn, and this was the first year my mom had me go down by myself. I was still very young, but I was determined. Upon entering the barn, I immediately noticed one of the does giving birth. However, something was off. As I approached, I saw that she was struggling to expel a kid in breech position. Quickly rolling up my sleeves and going into the pen, I assessed the situation and got the kid out as fast as possible. With a breech birth, time is of the essence, and unfortunately the first kid was already dead when I got to the barn. I knew the job wasn't over yet, though.
The doe started her second round of contractions, and I prepared to assist if necessary. The waterbag appeared along with two little white hooves but no nose. Minding the factor of time, I did not hesitate to gently pull on the kid during the next contraction and fortunately got it out in one shot. After clearing its nose with a towel, I put the kid in front of its mother to get cleaned up. Sitting back to watch for more kids or the placenta to pass, I knew even in my young age that this was something I could do for the rest of my life and be happy. Watching the miracle of life occur, making the best effort possible to help an animal, and just spending time in general with them was both a pleasure and a privilege that I got to have while growing up on our small farm.
That first solo experience with kidding taught me two valuable lessons about myself and who I want to be. The first being that I love helping animals. If there was even a shot to save or help one, I wanted to take it or help someone less knowledgeable take it. If I could get a job as a vet, animal nutritionist, or something of that sort, I knew would be forever content.
The second thing I learned was that my favorite animal is a goat. Now, you might be wondering why it wasn't already a goat before this incident since I had grown up with them. The truth is, I always wanted horses, but we could never afford to have one. Being so caught up in what I didn't have, I don't think I appreciated or cared enough about what I did have. However, that moment with the kidding brought a new level of connection and appreciation for the species, and ever since I have been 100% team goat as my favorite animal.
All in all, spending time with and helping animals (goats in particular) is something I love and want to continue to do for the rest of my life. All of the experiences I've had growing up on my family's farm have played into this love, but that first time assisting the birth on my own and experiencing the circle of life first hand was what sealed the deal for me.