Written by Eliza Truel, NALJA Director

My ag teacher would tell me that you were a combination of the people you hang out with the most; it took me quite some time to realize exactly how true that could be. If you had told any of my friends, family or even my ag teacher that I’d be where I am today, I’m not sure that many of them would’ve believed you.

I went to a big high school where not many kids had livestock of any sort, and my family and I lived outside of town with our livestock. Once I found my passion for the cattle industry, the only place I wanted to be was in the barn, at shows, or any other place where I could feed and build on that passion. It was difficult to adjust to an industry that I hadn’t grown up in or that many of my friends from school were not involved in, but I have learned so much and made so many connections that helped along the way. Once I got started, I never wanted to leave. I started surrounding myself with more people with the same interests in the cattle industry as me. That’s when everything changed; I became more obsessed with cattle than ever before.

Needless to say, if things aren’t going the way you want them to, maybe take a look at who you surround yourself with. It is impossible to reach your goals when you are surrounded by people that might be holding you back.