~ guest blog post by Elizabeth Burns-Thompson

It’s the go-to question for all young people today, “So what do you want to be when you grow up?” Over the years the answer to that very question has changed but now, as I begin to join what most adults call “the real world”, I stand confident in my career goals for the future. Let me back up and tell you a little bit about myself. I was born and raised on a small hobby farm in eastern Iowa. The FFA organization was originally what sparked my passion for agriculture and thus the determining factor for my choice for secondary education. This past May, at the age of twenty, I became the first member of my immediate family to earn a four-year degree. My next adventure begins this fall as I follow my childhood dream of attending law school, as I would someday like to work with agricultural policy development.

My drive to further pursue agricultural law and public policy stems from a number of encounters throughout my life. One of my earliest memories dates back more than a decade, while in elementary school we began learning about our system of government. I remember being enthralled by it all, wanting to learn more. On one of our worksheets there was an extra credit section in which we could develop a campaign slogan and design a button to match. To this day on my parent’s refrigerator you will find an old, faded button, covered in white paper bearing the words “Elizabeth for president, A small person, with BIG IDEAS.” While today I don’t think I will ever run for president, I am taking the necessary steps to achieve my goal of serving America’s agricultural industry.

I’m often asked, “Why agriculture?” I guess the only way I can answer that is it’s truly my passion. It’s an amazing feeling to wake up every morning to do work that you enjoy and go to bed every night feeling like you made a difference in the world. I think anyone who works in ag would agree with me. Who have you explained that to lately?

Ready to serve agriculture...

Elizabeth is a May 2011 graduate of Iowa State University, where she earned Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business and International Agriculture with a minor in Agronomy. Her passion is agricultural policy and will be attending Drake Law School to further develop her understanding of the legislative system. She blogs at https://eburnsthompson.wordpress.com.

*Note from Michele: One of the great things in ag social media circles is the opportunity to meet a variety of people. Elizabeth is mature beyond her years and caught my attention some time ago as an outstanding agvocate. I wanted to introduce her to you as one of many college students set to make her mark on the world, as they bring great enthusiasm to our community.