Vanessa Dunkelberger, a recent graduate of Parker High School, will be attending Northeast Community College to become a Veterinary Technician. As an adult, she plans to continue to raise horses for riding and rodeo and would like to keep a small herd of goats.

Q. What made you want to join 4-H? And FFA?
As a child, I was around animals on my property or at my grandparents’ house. Growing up around animals has made me love working with them. My mom’s entire family has always been very active in 4-H, making it a natural choice for me. FFA was also an easy choice as my mom is my FFA advisor. I worked on the livestock side of 4-H and FFA, as well as the leadership/speaking events, visual arts, special foods, fashion review, and volunteering experiences. Having these opportunities has helped make me the person I am.

Q. How do you balance your Ag activities with classes, school activities, and community involvement?
I wish I had balanced all the activities and had no problems, but that did not happen. Communication and time management are skills I learned early on in all my activities. I always talked with my coaches and advisors to ensure I could do all my activities. I had to learn to go with the flow and not get stressed about the schedule.

Q. What did you enjoy most about 4-H and FFA?
I most enjoyed and grew my knowledge through the competitions. Last year, I won the Equine Science at the FFA state level and received a bronze emblem at the national level. This year, I placed third in the state of South Dakota for my goat production. I treasured being able to compete against other people in the activities and the industry that I love. I also love sharing what I have done throughout my ag career, showing others that you can always fi nd something you enjoy doing even without a strong ag background.

Q. What have you learned through 4H, FFA, and other Ag activities?
4-H and FFA have taught me responsibility, leadership, respect, safety, and more, which I will use forever. I fully know the responsibility necessary to keep animal herds healthy and happy. I developed a deep respect for the advisor and the many other people I met along the journey. Being on our FFA chapter officer team required me to show leadership in the absence of our advisor at some of our events, and I recognized the respect our adult chaperone and the other FFA members gave me. I would not have many of the skills I have built without my experience in these organizations.

Q. Who helped you succeed in your Ag-related achievements?
My parents are my biggest cheerleaders and have helped me the most. They both grew up around animals and helped foster my love for animals and the agriculture industry. I truly believe that I would not be where I am today without them. As my FFA advisor, my mom helped me immensely throughout my FFA experience and other activities. No matter how well I performed in my activities, she always cheered me on and focused on the things I did right. My dad was very hands-on and was right there when I was learning to rope or make a barrel run, and his presence had a very calming effect during those tense times. My parents helped me focus less on accomplishments and more on what I have learned from doing the work and the progress I have made in my activities.