Laura Beth Padgett, blogging on behalf of college agvocates.

We have another regular contributor to the Gate to Plate blog, Laura Beth Padgett, a sophomore at Oklahoma State University. She’ll be posting a couple times each month to add thoughts from a student in agriculture; I hope you’ll give her some positive feedback.

Growing up on a small farm in rural Indiana, I developed a deep passion for agriculture at any early age, nourished through my involvement in FFA and 4-H.  In high school I had the opportunity to compete on numerous state and national judging teams that  furthered my devotion to agriculture and opened doors for me to meet amazing people working to promote the industry. I met Michele six years ago at my very first dairy judging practice in eigtht grade and I have been working with her ever since. I’m excited that Michele is giving me the opportunity to blog about agriculture  from a college student’s perspective.

What do you want to be when you grow up? It seems as though every five year old can come up with an exciting and ambitious answer to this question.  Ranging anywhere from veterinarian to astronaut, their dreams are sky-high and inevitably different from what their ultimate professions will be.  Nonetheless, we encourage youngsters all across the country to set their sights on a difficult goal that they may someday achieve.

Entering my sophomore year in college, I’ve outgrown my dreams of being a veterinarian that saves thousands of sick animals or being the first human on another planet. However, the question of what I want to do after graduation continues to be the question that requires the most imaginative thinking on my part.  With so many opportunities offered to graduates of ag departments, it is all one can do to not set overly ambitious goals.  Though I believe what all my previous teachers and supporters said when they told me I can do whatever I set my mind to, I became concerned that my professional goals were either unrealistic or too picky. Thus, I began doing research on past agriculturists and found phenomenal people that were not afraid to set seemingly impractical goals in order to succeed.  Here are some of the role models I found:

George Washington Carver– Growing up in the time period immediately following the Civil War, Carver overcame a great amount of adversity to capture his dreams.  Forcing himself to triumph over obstacles from poverty to stereotypes, Carver was enabled to help innumerable Southern farmers as he introduced and developed peanuts all across the South.  Through his efforts, farmers (and peanut fans alike) will continue to benefit for years to come.

Dr. Temple Grandin– Overcoming numerous obstacles in her life, Dr. Grandin is one of the leading animal behavior scientists.  Her research has served to help modernization agricultural techniques while her determination to inform the public has lead to appearances on numerous television shows.  Proving to be a true advocate, Dr. Grandin has paved the way for other agriculturists to combine their knowledge and outgoing nature to not only help but also inform the public.

Dr. Norman Borlaug– Amazingly enough, Dr. Borlaug began the Green Revolution in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s as he traveled to foreign countries developing new strains of crops that could function more efficiently in each region.  Scientists estimate Dr. Borlaug managed to bring millions of dollars of extra revenue to those countries while saving approximately one BILLION lives!  The deserving humanitarian was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

Whether you’re still working on your education or are already out in the workforce, creating and evaluating personal and professional goals is essential to achieving your legacy.  What were your original goals when you set out to work in the agricultural busienss?  Who were you hoping to help while working toward your dreams?  How have you been working to turn those goals into a reality and serve as a role model for young people in agriculture.

~Guest Post by Laura Padgett