Agricultural News
Meet Your SE District Star in Ag Placement Will Shelby of the Madill FFA Chapter
Fri, 07 Apr 2017 13:31:48 CDT
During the month of April, the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and Oklahoma Farm Report will be spotlighting the twenty District Stars of Oklahoma FFA that are among the highest achievers in the organization. The stars come from the five districts in four categories- Star in Ag Placement, Star in Agriscience, Star in Agribusiness and Star in Production Agriculture. We are beginning our series of profiles of the District Stars with the five district winners in Ag Placement. The top individuals in this category have been employed within the agricultural community- and are judged on the success of their work program. The member's placement experience can include paid labor hours or directed laboratory unpaid labor hours.
We end this week of featuring this year's State Star competitors, with our fifth and final District Star in Ag Placement hailing from the Madill FFA Chapter, Will Shelby, representing the Southeast district. Shelby has had an amazing opportunity to learn alongside a true professional, which has sparked an interest in his goals for a future vocation that may lead him to follow in the footsteps left behind for him.
"My dad's a large animal veterinarian and he basically works with a lot of the sale barns in the state as well as goes on farm calls," he said. "I've been able to work under him and get a lot of experience in that way."
Without even so much as a high school diploma yet, Shelby has enough experience through working with his father than most pre-vet college students would have at this point. He says he has learned a lot under his dad's mentoring.
"Basically, a big thing is just awareness and being able to increase my skill in dealing with cattle; learning a bit more of their habits and being able to sort them really well - as well as aging," Shelby described. "It's kind of a difficult process by examining their teeth."
Overall, apprenticing for his dad has taught him many of the skills he will need in the future, as he intends to gain acceptance to the Oklahoma State University Vet School and start a practice of his own one day. But he says, too, that his experiences in the FFA since joining his 8th grade year, have had a "tremendous" impact on his life.
"I don't know if you can really pinpoint it in just a couple minutes talking," he said while being interviewed. "But it really has made a difference. I don't know what I'd be doing right now if it wasn't for FFA."
You can hear his entire conversation with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays, by clicking or tapping on the LISTEN BAR below.
A complete list of the District Stars can be seen on the Oklahoma FFA website by clicking or tapping here.
Our salute of the 2017 District Stars of the Oklahoma FFA is brought to you by American Farmers & Ranchers, proud to support Oklahoma's youth. Visit the AFR website by clicking or tapping here to learn more on how AFR supports the young people of Oklahoma, and how AFR can provide you with quality insurance for your home, auto, farm, and life.
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