March 30, 2022 - Life as a high school graduate is right around the corner for many South Tech junior and senior students. To help them develop a plan and discover what options they have as young adults, Future Farmers of America (FFA) State Vice President Hannah Shanks made a stop at the high school to speak with students in the Veterinary Assistant Program. During the presentation, Shanks focused on career readiness. Students brainstormed various careers in agriculture and created a movie poster of what they want their life to look like in the next 10-15 years. The poster also included a list of people they would like to have on their support team as working adults. The goal was for students to understand how expansive careers in agriculture are and to get them thinking about their future. 

“It’s always good to have a plan,” said Shanks. “The movie poster was their map to where they see themselves. Hopefully, it got their wheels turning about where they see themselves in the future and what they can be doing now to get there.” 

Donna Hobbs is the South Tech FFA advisor, vet assistant program instructor, and was the first female vice president of her FFA chapter, located in Princeton, Kentucky. As an FFA advisor, Hobbs' role is to help students find their career path, whether it’s in agriculture or a related field. Even though her students are learning about the science of veterinary medicine, she feels their skills can transfer over to other areas. 

“There are different positions in the same field,” said Hobbs. “They have a lot of opportunities available to them besides being a vet or vet tech. They’ll still need to know about advertising, agriculture, and the pharmaceutical industry. I want them to have a backup plan to what they think they’re going to do and be versatile.” 

During the presentation, students were also made aware of various FFA college scholarships and the Veterinary Science Career Development Event. This event allows students to demonstrate knowledge of large and small animals and work through hands-on practicums. Shanks says FFA is a great place to start for any high school graduate. 

“It’s really bringing that firsthand agriculture experience to these students so that they can be career ready,” said Shanks. “Whether you’re going into agriculture or not, there’s so much great background that comes from it.” 

An FFA representative visits South Tech once a year. For more information about FFA, contact Donna Hobbs at 314-989-7551 or dhobbs@ssdmo.org.