My name is Hayden Bush and my hometown is Tillamook, Oregon. I am a junior studying Agricultural Sciences. Ultimately my career goal is to become a high school agriculture instructor and FFA advisor. I feel as an educator, I can make a profound difference in our world’s future.
I think that a leader is someone who stands up for what they believe in and can bring out the best in others. One must be charismatic, enthusiastic, easy to work with and effective to be a good leader. A good leader should not only be able to capitalize on his or her own strengths but also be able to read others’ strengths and help them to use those effectively.
While in the Leadership Academy, I hope to discover my “fit” as a leader. I would like to learn more about my strengths (especially those identified in Clifton Strengths Quest) and how to apply them to my career as an agriculture teacher. I know leaders come in many shapes and sizes, and I want to identify my “shape and size.” The Leadership Academy will help me get to know myself and my strengths better and teach me how to apply those to my career.
My name is Lauren Eyrich and I am from Los Angeles, California. I am a sophomore studying Animal Science. My long-term career goal is to earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Oregon State University and establish my own private equine and large animal practice in a rural community. I also hope to work alongside World Vision, a non-profit, Christian humanitarian organization I have supported for the last five years, to teach proper animal husbandry and care techniques to the members of their community improvement projects all around the world.
I think that a good leader is somebody with good communication, people skills, vision, and integrity. To be a great leader, the most important characteristic is an investment in leading yourself. This quote by Dee Hock, founder and CEO of Visa, hit the nail on the head: “Control is not leadership; management is not leadership; leadership is leadership. If you seek to lead, invest at least 50% of your time in leading yourself – your own purpose, ethics, principles, motivation, conduct. Invest at least 20% leading those with authority over you and 15% leading your peers.”
As a member of the Leadership Academy, I hope to grow as an active leader. I want to be more comfortable delegating and enabling others to become leaders themselves. I hope to increase my team building skills (including conflict management and communication) while also pinpointing strengths of individuals that I can harness and bring out in group settings.
I am Juliana Masseloux, from San Rafael, California. I am a Junior studying Fisheries and Wildlife.
I hope to use the skills that I develop in the Leadership Academy program and additional leadership development experiences to become a successful team worker and leader in the field of wildlife conservation. I hope to work for, and in the future possibly lead, an organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of endangered species in Africa, South America and/or Southeast Asia.
I think that characterizes of a good leader include confidence, charisma, and empathy are key to becoming a good leader – someone who can lead, who can understand and who can make others desire to follow him or her.
Through participating in the Leadership Academy, I anticipate growth in leadership skills such as communication, organization and confidence. I hope to improve in areas of interpersonal relations and become someone who can confidently and charismatically manage and interact with others.
“A great person attracts great people and knows how to hold them together.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
My name is Alexandra Hoff and I am from Portland, Oregon. I am a Junior studying Animal Sciences. After graduating, I hope to attend veterinary school at Oregon State or one of several other schools. After vet school, I would like to further my education and become an equine surgeon. I would like to work in either private practice or a state veterinary school.
Good leaders are kind, hardworking, understanding and driven. They can effectively impact the people they are leading through their work ethic and dedication. Good leaders can organize people to complete tasks that lead to success.
What I hope to gain from the Leadership Academy: I would like to strengthen my skills in public speaking and leading small groups of people. I want to grow my ability to identify a goal of the group, assign people jobs based on their skills and facilitate the group to help it become successful. I would also love to strengthen my event planning/coordinating skills.
My name is Samuel Palacio and my hometown is Bend, Oregon. I am a Junior studying Environmental Economics and Policy.
My career plan to participate in the Peace Corps for two years and then return to the U.S. to obtain a master’s degree. I look forward to eventually entering a career in international agriculture, specifically working with small communities in developing nations, evaluating economic growth.
A good leader considers the strengths, abilities and preferences of those around him/her, genuinely investing his/her own energy in the growth and development of others, cultivating an environment where teamwork and success are both achievable; through all of this, a leader remains a humble servant of others.
While in the Leadership Academy, I hope to build on my strengths through values-based living. I plan to identify specific core values that I find important and apply those values to my rule of daily action. I also hope to narrow my career goals.
I am Alex Powell and my hometown is Sutherlin, Oregon. I am a sophomore studying Bioresource Research. After graduating from Oregon State, I plan to attend a Physician’s Assistant graduate program and eventually work as a Physician’s Assistant for a surgical doctor.
I think that a good leader must be willing to put the needs of others above his/her own personal gain. A good leader is dedicated and selfless and of often only repaid with the sense of accomplishment he/she gets at the end of the day.
Through being in the Leadership Academy, I hope to enhance my abilities as a professional and effective communicator. Communication will be key in any leadership position I pursue in the future.
I am Kylah Reynolds, from Central Point, Oregon. I am a Senior studying Agricultural Sciences.
In my future career, I want to connect my love for helping feed the world with my passion for making a difference within the community. I want to help bring education to poorer regions of the world and help establish sustainable agricultural practices in those communities.
A good leader carries out his/her everyday tasks with passion and dedication; he/she sets goals to succeed and make a difference in whatever he/she does. A good leader has values and considers them in every decision while also being aware of others who are involved.
While in the Leadership Academy, I want to continue evolving in all areas of leadership, but specifically in conflict management and communication. The Leadership Academy will allow me to step out of my comfort zone, especially in my leadership ability. I hope to make new connections as well as deepen existing relationships.
My name is Devin Robinson and I am from Heppner, Oregon. I am a sophomore studying Agricultural Sciences.
I am currently exploring career opportunities in the agriculture industry and am specifically interested in pursuing veterinary school at Oregon State. No matter my career, I plan to positively impact the community in which I choose to live.
A good leader has integrity, strength, responsibility and a sense of humor. A leader is able to inspire others to work together by example, listening and getting to know the team. Leaders must know how to set goals, be confident and remain calm.
I hope the Leadership Academy will provide opportunities to work with mentors who will help me narrow my career and personal goals. I hope it will push me to improve my communication, leadership and problem solving skills, which I can use in all areas of my life.
My name is Briana Tanaka and I am from Union, Oregon. I am a Junior studying Agricultural Business Management. After receiving my bachelor’s degree, I plan to pursue a master’s in agricultural communications. These educational goals will give me the necessary tools to be active agricultural literacy and advocating.
I have always found myself looking for character, humility and work ethic in those who I aspire to emulate. I think these characteristics make a good leader.
As a member of the Leadership Academy, I hope to enhance my ability to articulate ideas through oral and written communication, increase my political science knowledge (within the current election, state government, and the process of founding and organizing actual councils) and better understand how to effectively build healthy relationships past the initial first-impression stage.
I am from Jordan Trevor, from Milwaukie, Oregon. I am a senior studying Animal Sciences. My career goal is to become an agriculture teacher.
Humility is a quality I look for in a leader. I admire those who can motivate and inspire passion even in times of disarray, and I hope to possess this ability as a leader.
While in the Leadership Academy, I hope to strengthen my ability to connect and communicate with different people. I personally enjoy interacting with people, so being able to make a connection is an important skill to me.
I am Nick West, from Imbler, Oregon. I am a Junior studying BioResource Research.
After college, I want to be trained as a family doctor and move back to my hometown in rural eastern Oregon. With twenty percent of the nation’s population living in rural America and only ten percent of doctors practicing medicine in these areas, there is a great need for rural doctors. While running my family clinic, I plan to manage our family cattel ranch with my siblings and remain connected to agriculture.
A good leader is in and amongst his/her followers and leading with them, not above them. Leaders provide individuals in their sphere of influence with a sense of worth, because they seek first to understand then to be understood.
I believe the Leadership Academy will challenge my comfort zone in areas of diversity, organization and networking. These are qualities of a leader that I hope to expand and grow in my own life. The Leadership Academy forces me to consciously think about what I am doing and why I am doing it.
I am Reva Rose West from Imbler, Oregon. I am studying both Agricultural Sciences and Spanish and am a Sophomore.
Professionally, I want to help bridge the gap between farmers and consumers. After graduating, I will pursue a career educating consumers on topics related to agriculture. While I’m not sure exactly what path I’ll take, I am interested in lobbying, education, advertising, media communications, and advocating at the local, national or global level.
I think that a good leader is a servant of the people, an individual who has a pure heart, strong set of values that he follows and is always striving for excellence. A good leader is driven, selfless, and loyal to himself and his followers.
While in the Leadership Academy, I hope to develop sound professional skills and learn about different leadership techniques, strategies and principles. Through discussions with my Leadership Academy mentor, advisers and other fellows, I hope to broaden my understanding of the agriculture industry and leadership opportunities in it.
I am Tyler West, from Redmond, Washington. I am a senior studying Environmental Economics and Policy.
I plan to pursue a career in agricultural finance or agricultural economics after graduating from Oregon State University. I plan to pursue a master’s degree in either business or economics within the next five years. Long term I would like to lead a business unit in an agricultural investing firm or economic consulting firm.
A good leader is organized, creative and relational. He or she is seen by others as someone who is competent enough to get the job done, innovative enough to combat obstacles and relational enough to influence people. A leader is someone who can construct a vision, communicate that vision and empower people to make that vision a reality.
I hope to grow in the areas of communication and team building while in the Leadership Academy. Specifically, I want to enhance my professional communication skills, learn effective delegation in a team setting, develop different leadership styles I can employ in different situations and learn to be more relational as a leader. I hope it will also challenge me to jump into a new organization where I can make a difference as a leader.