| Holly
Pond High School, she was president of the Student Government
Association, a cheerleader, a member of the track team and was active in
her FFA chapter, even competing in the National Livestock Judging
Competition and winning the State Star Farmer Award for Excellence in
her agricultural endeavors. She was also elected as the president of
Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Association as a sophomore.
But
showing cattle remained her first love and her work with her Angus
calves not only gave her the opportunity to win numerous awards, it also
gave her a chance to get involved with the National Junior Angus
Association (NJAA).
Wood
said she has been a member of the organization since she was
nine-years-old. She participated in her first national show in 1997 that
was held in Perry, GA. Since then, she has been active in the NJAA’s
events not only showing in the national shows, but also participating in
its other contests like quiz bowl, public speaking, agriculture sales,
cook-off, photography competition and poster competition.
"I
guess all that stuff helped me to meet people so I could get to where I
am now," Wood said.
By
getting involved and making friends in the organization and by
demonstrating her leadership abilities, Wood was elected to the Board of
Directors for the NJAA last year. This position is elected as a two-year
term of service. Wood said she was elected to serve as the Leadership
Director for the organization during the second year of her term.
Serving in this capacity, she is in charge of planning the NJAA’s LEAD
(Leaders Engaged in Angus Development) Conference. This conference is
for NJAA members between the ages of 14 and 21 and is held in a
different location each year with this year’s meetings being held in
Athens, GA.
The
election process for NJAA Board of Directors is quite extensive. Wood
said each state has two voting delegates and to begin the election
process each candidate must submit resumés for delegates to evaluate.
During the process the candidates must meet with the delegates, give two
impromptu speeches – one focused on character and one focused on
industry and participate in a round table discussion. At the end of the
week six new members are named to the 12-member board of directors.
Serving two-year terms, each year six members retire while six more are
elected to replace the outgoing directors.
Serving
on the NJAA Board of Directors includes many responsibilities such as
traveling to events like spring and fall board meetings, the North
American International Livestock Exposition and the National Junior
Angus Show, mailing post cards to new members, helping with national
contests, writing an article for the Angus Journal and serving as a
contact person for members of the organization.
Wood
is now a junior at Auburn University pursuing a degree in Animal Science
and she has set important career goals for herself.
"I
want to be a vet when I grow up…just like every other little kid when
they come to college," she said. "That’s before they get to
chemistry, of course."
Wood
is trudging on through that chemistry and she plans to apply to Auburn
University’s School of Veterinary Medicine next fall. She hopes to
accomplish her goal of becoming a veterinarian and one day opening her
own clinic.
Naturally,
her NJAA and academic responsibilities demand much of her attention and
they can be quite time consuming, especially for a young lady who serves
as President of the College of Agriculture; a member of the agriculture
sorority, Sigma Alpha; Block and Bridle; Collegiate FFA; Ag Ambassadors
and Ag Council. Wood said time management is an essential quality she
must use each day.
"I
do the things I need to get done first," she said. "I can play
later. School is always priority."
She
said when she gets frustrated her family is always there to encourage
her and keep her going - especially her grandmother. She said her
grandmother, a cancer survivor of five years, is her role model.
Although
Wood’s responsibilities can exhaust her, she said her grandmother
sends her a card each week to encourage her and she emphasized that she
never misses a week.
"She’s
just kind of my inspiration," she said. "She encourages me and
she’s always there for me. She’s a fighter."
Grace
Smith is an AFC management services trainee. |
