Haven Hileman

“Don’t let go of my hand”. These are the words I had going through my mind as my tiny hand held my father’s. I was only two years old and I was waiting in line on the first Sunday in August to register my farm products at the Scioto County Fair. Although I could barely see above the edge of the table, I would locate my products searching for a ribbon. So, my love for agriculture stems from those memories.
This is why I am pursuing an agriculture-related career. I believe in this way of life. I see the importance of continuing and boosting agriculture, not only in my county, but in my state, and my country. Agriculture is the foundation that provides the necessities of everyone’s life. The magnitude that agriculture is vital to the world’s everyday living has prompted my exhilarating desire to want to advocate for agriculture.
On December 2, 2019 I stood in Parkside Elementary School in Atlanta, Georgia before a class of third and fourth graders who had little to no knowledge of agriculture. I was the Ohio Swine Representative at the National 4-H Congress in 2019, and as a part of the Congress, I was assigned a community service project. I received a special role at my project as I would be responsible for teaching the students a lesson about poultry and agriculture. While teaching the class and seeing the children’s eyes light up with excitement, it clicked in my mind that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.
I am pursuing a degree in Animal Sciences at The Ohio State University so that I can learn as much about the agriculture industry as possible. As an agriculture teacher and advocate for the agriculture industry I would be providing instruction about livestock, environmental issues, nutrition, crops, forestry, floriculture, genetics, and plant science. The classroom setting provides a pristine opportunity to instruct students on these very important issues. By sharing my knowledge with students I will help inspire and develop the future of the agriculture industry. I plan on getting my Master’s degree in agriculture education and eventually pursue a PhD to become a professor and start an agriculture program at the local college in my area.
It takes a full year to plan, sow, and harvest crops. Becoming a leader and advocate for agriculture also just doesn’t happen overnight. The question is this, how does one become a leader and advocate for agriculture? One just doesn’t wake up one day and is a leader. It is a combination of all of one’s experiences, those Saturday evenings gathering farm products, speaking with your school urging them to create an FFA chapter, taking leadership workshops through Farm Bureau, being selected as the president elect for the Ohio State Fair Junior Fair Board, and having my hands in a cow’s stomach, on purpose, in my animal science lab. These are all experiences that will allow me to be a voice for agriculture.