STUDENT profile
STUDENT PROFILE: John Andrews
2013 CTE Student of the Year Kossuth High School Graduate NE Mississippi Community College Student in Agricultural Business Why did you decide to pursue this field? I decided to take an agriculture class because I loved animals. Then I got the opportunity to fill in for someone in the livestock judging at the state FFA conference and did really well. The next year, I did really well again in livestock and dairy judging, so I decided to major in agricultural business in college because I really liked it and found out I was good at it, too. What did winning CTE student of the year mean to you? At first, when I saw it was my teacher calling me, I was worried that I had done something wrong! [laughs] But when I found out it was for the award, I was really shocked and honored. I am really thankful for winning the award and am thankful to my family, friends, and teachers, especially my CTE teacher, Mr. Gilmore, for encouraging me. What benefit does CTE have for students? CTE helps you get out there and see the field you could be working in. My teacher academy classes helped me see what the teaching field was like—one day I might even teach agriculture—and my agriculture classes helped me learn about the tools I would use in the field. What are your future plans? My goal is to one day own my own business, maybe something with cows, sheep, and goats. At first, I’ll probably work for a company in agricultural business, but I hope to one day own my own company. Who are your role models and why? My grandparents, who raised me. They mean a lot to me, and I look up to them a lot. Mr. Gilmore, my agriculture teacher. He got me into the judging and even let me show some of his sheep. My technology teacher in high school, Mr. Hebert. He has always stuck beside me and encouraged me. Ms. Nethery, my teacher academy teacher, has always been there to help me when I needed it. What is your favorite memory from a CTE class in high school? When I was judging dairy at the state FFA conference, I was worried I wasn’t making the right decisions and was second-guessing myself. Then, at the awards ceremony, when they called out my name for the top individual award, I was blown away. I was completely in shock and really excited that all my hard work had paid off.
Fall 2013 CONNECTIONS 17