For Kelsey Miller, when it comes to animals and the ag community, it’s difficult to resist the urge to get involved with more and more activities.

Miller, an incoming senior at Warrenton High School, is a longtime member of the 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America) education organizations. She’s this year’s president of the Warrenton FFA chapter, second vice president of the Missouri Area V FFA Assembly, she has served on multiple local FFA committees, and she’s competed in FFA trap shooting and public speaking competitions.

Miller is also an annual participant in the livestock exhibition at the Warren County Fair, a multi-day event that requires months of preparation and care each year.

“I’ve always grown up in agriculture. I love working with animals,” Miller commented, explaining that taking an active role in her FFA chapter has given her valuable experience and built relationships with young people in her community and beyond.

“It’s given me a lot of public speaking skills and a lot of opportunities to not only meet new people, but also improve myself as a person,” Miller noted.

As chapter president, and as an officer before that, Miller helps organize projects, education and recreation activities for FFA members and acts as a mentor for younger students. She said one of her goals as a leader is to make sure members are encouraged to always be welcoming and informative for others who are new to the program or unfamiliar with agriculture.

Q: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in FFA and 4-H?
“You need to always have a plan, but understand that things can change. You need to be flexible and work with other people to get everything accomplished, no matter what it takes.

“Those skills are very important, because when you go ‘out in the real world,’ you’re going to run into problems you need to find the solution to, and you’re not going to always have someone to help guide you.”

Q: What’s the biggest challenge for you?
“Sometimes I over-schedule myself to where I get too busy. It becomes a problem where I need to be in three places at once, and I have to figure out how I can schedule to meet all of those commitments, but also make sure that I’m not overloading myself.”

Q: What’s your goal for this next year?
“Making sure I’m growing my (supervised agriculture experience) so that I can fill out some proficiency awards and hopefully get recognized. And I want to make sure I’m fulfilling all my duties ... but the majority is just making sure I make it through senior year.”

Q: What are your plans after high school?
“To attend the University of Missouri in Columbia and eventually get a teaching certificate for agricultural education. I’ve been wavering between being an ag educator, or doing more curriculum and outreach activities with students. ... I really enjoy working with kids and students, because I was in that same place, and I want them to have the experience that I had.

Favorite food: Chicken Alfredo
Favorite movie: “American Sniper”
Favorite show: “Ultimate Cowboy Showdown”
Favorite music artist: Cody Johnson
Favorite destination: 4-H Western National Roundup in Colorado