Caelan,
Thank you so much for participating in our scholarship program. We hope this small token of our appreciation will serve as an encouragement for you to strive not only to meet, but rather exceed your goals in life.
We wish you the best in your endeavors. Again, thank you for allowing us to be a part of shaping your future.
Brad Heath
President, Double D Trailers
Street Address: Washington 99135
College Attending and Address:
Central Washington University
400 E University Way
Ellensburg, Washington 98926
Area of Study: Biology/Agriculture Education
Planned Graduation Date: June 2018
When you were a child did you ever bring any pet home without asking your parents? Maybe a puppy, a kitten, or something smaller like a fish or hamster? If you ever were courageous enough to bring home an unexpected pet you know well enough the response of your parents. Although when my parents had the pleasure of meeting my new unforeseen pet their response was not one of anger, or the immediate planning of consequences, but more along the lines of confusion. Just imagine my parents sitting in our living room as I, nine years old at the time, came busting through the door holding my new pet, Diego the Rooster. Diego was to be my 4-H project, yet another commitment I joined without my parents’ knowledge, and I would be showing him in the fair. After participating in my first fair a deep-seeded passion for agriculture was born in my heart, a passion that I knew I wanted to eventually turn into my career.
My involvement in 4-H planted a love for agriculture, in which I take every opportunity to become more involved in the industry. As I am sure you can assume, my freshman year of high school when the opportunity had arisen I plunged into another commitment my parents were unaware of, the FFA. I was in love immediately; it was a club that allowed me to be submerged in a group of people who shared my passion, while expanding my knowledge and abilities in agriculture.
My journeys through FFA have polished my skills in leadership and communication. Serving as District 9 Reporter, and my chapter’s Sentinel, Secretary, and President twice, I have had to be a reliable, enthusiastic member. Aside from leadership positions I’ve held, I’ve also been involved in the competition aspect as well. Not only have I competed in events such as Creed Speaking and Prepared Public Speaking, I’ve also polished my skills in the valuable art of Potato Judging. For any of you who don’t know Potato judging is the skillful competition where you decide whether a potato falls into one of the numerous categories of one, two, or coal.
During my fifth grade year, my family moved to the Ranch, a forty-acre plot on the top of the hill. This is where I found my true love, and possibly every little girl’s, horses. As most horse owners know my first horse spiral to owning five or six, because one isn’t good enough. Finding activities for my newfound pets I took lessons every week and eventually won the title of Miss Colorama Rodeo, with led to my first Pro Rodeo title, Miss Coulee City Rodeo the next year. Loving the activities with my horses we also sorted cattle, carried flags, and participated in parades, along with giving a few lessons.
It wasn’t until this summer while I was attending FFA District Officer Training camp that it finally dawned on me, and I realized how I wanted to incorporate agriculture into my career. The whole summer before my senior year I had been racking my brain in what role I would play in agriculture. I was stuck between two very similar careers, veterinary medicine and agriculture communications, so using logical thinking I chose the next closest career, teaching.
After thought and debate I decided to attend Central Washington University to attain my degree in teaching. Central Washington University is an appealing college choice for me because it allows me to take my furry pets, which I can’t live with out. This fall while attending college I plan to take my little mare and join the equestrian team. As members of the equestrian team we would travel around the Pacific Northwest attending various collegiate shows.
As different as my two first career choices are, the idea to become an agriculture teacher really is a logical thought. Being an agriculture teacher would allow me to be invested in all branches of agriculture such as animal science, teaching the future generations of agriculture about some of my favorite objects such as chickens and horses. I would also be teaching the future agriculturist ensuring a stable agriculture industry, which encompasses the equine industry. But, what appeals to me most is the fact I will become an advisor for FFA. As an FFA advisor I will have the opportunity to spark a love for agriculture that could direct and change someone’s life, just as Diego the Rooster did for me.
Growing up in a community the size of some high schools has allowed to me experience a multitude of activities not everyone has the opportunity to enjoy. Living in a community of six hundred members I have participated and volunteered in a wide array of community service projects, clubs, and organizations. My involvements include the Coulee City Last Stand Rodeo Association, Ridge Riders Rodeo Club, Almira-Coulee/Hartline Associated Student Body, Warrior League, Knowledge Bowl, National Honor Society, Math Team, Cheerleading, Softball, Basketball, and FFA.
As a member of the Coulee City Last Stand Rodeo Association for the past seven years I have volunteered over three hundred hours to the organization. My service has included sorting livestock, carrying sponsor flags in the rodeo, working in the concessions booth, untying calves during the performance, picking up trash, cleaning the rodeo grounds, and serving as the 2013 Miss Coulee City Last Stand Rodeo Queen. My duties as rodeo queen required me to travel around the Pacific Northwest attending events as representative of Coulee City and the Last Stand Rodeo.
A similar involvement of mine was serving as the 2011-2012 Miss Colorama Rodeo Queen. As representative for the Ridge Riders Rodeo Club I similarly traveled around the Pacific Northwest representing the Grand Coulee Community, and events help by the Ridge Riders Rodeo Club.
In my senior year of high school I have enjoyed the opportunity to serve as the 2013-2014 Almira-Coulee/Hartline High School Associated Student Body Secretary. As an officer on my high school’ s Associated Student Body I volunteered my time and came to school during the summer and weekends to help plan and set up for events such as homecoming and the first day of school.
My high school offers a community service club called Warrior League. As a member of Warrior League for the past four years I have participated in various community service events. I helped elderly members of the community to prepare their yards for the upcoming winter months; I also sang Christmas carols to the Coulee City Senior Center during one of their lunches.
An active member of my high school’s FFA chapter I have held many officer positions, which have allowed me to plan and contribute to community service events. My freshman year I served as Chapter Sentinel, sophomore year I served as Chapter Secretary, junior year I served as Chapter President, senior year I served as Chapter President, and District Reporter. As an FFA member I have painted the bleachers at my community’s rodeo arena, and helped prepare Thanksgiving meals to hand out to families in need during the holidays. Along with officer positions I have also competed in a multitude of events. I have won awards such at 8th in state Creed Speaking, 6th in state Horse Judging, 1st in District Prepared Public Speaking, and North Central Washington District Fair Reserve Round Robin Grand Champion.
Aside from these events I have participated in National Honor Society, Knowledge Bowl, Math Team, Softball, Basketball, and Cheerleading. These have wielded me with opportunities to serve as caption and participate on varsity teams.
Living in a small community has allowed me to experience a multitude of community service events. These events have helped shaped skills such a communication and organization, along with giving me a sense of community. These experiences have allowed me to build a solid foundation of agricultural and equine knowledge and communication skills that are relevant and helpful to my chosen career field.
Since getting my first horse at eleven years old I have been hooked every since. First owning horses I primarily stayed with getting awaited with horses and aware of their movements along with simple trail riding. After my experience and confidence progressed I then moved to large obstacles.
Realizing my in-saddle horsemanship lacked I took the initiative to get better and started taking lessons twice a week to get better. After multiple years of learning I decided to run for my first rodeo royalty contest. Even though I did not come out the declared winner I came out a winner, I had sparked a passion for the equine industry I knew I would pursue.
To continue my involvement I worked towards other rodeo titles and was titles Miss Colorama Rodeo 2011 and 2012. As Miss Colorama Rodeo I traveled around three thousand miles in the Pacific Northwest supporting rodeo and the equine industry. This first title gave me experience to reach for more.
Stepping up the ladder the next year I won a Pro Rodeo title of Miss Coulee City Rodeo 2013. My duties called for me to travel much of the same area of the years before but this time I traveled around six thousand miles. I also was awarded numerous titles such as Best Royalty, and Best Mounted Royalty at many parades.
Only being an active member of the equine industry for seven years I am proud of mine and my equine counterparts accomplishments and cant wait for what the future has in store.
My future in the equine industry is that of an owner and a teacher. A teacher that ensures a knowledgeable youth in the equine industry. I plan to become an Agricultural Teacher. As a teacher I would be teaching high school students about animals science and could be advising them in various competitions such as horse judging and horse showing.
Aside from my career involvement in the equine industry I also plan to be an owner. The passion and love for horses that was sparked in me as little girl is something I plan to continue for the rest of my life. Most people move off to college forget about things and change their goals or hobbies. Well I plan to take my horses to college and base my hobbies and goals around them. Aside from my educational goals I plan to become a member of the equestrian team attending various shows. As long as I’m breathing I plan to be owning horses.
To keep my horses healthy and safe throughout the duration of my me owning them I will make sure they are always properly vaccinated and receive proper health care such as yearly check ups, farrier visits, and getting their teeth floated. Along with proper care I will make sure they are stalled properly with no sharp protrusions or hazardous objects, also receiving proper food such as not feeding them moldy hay or wheat that forms dough like balls in their stomachs. Along will all this I will also stay up to date on current horse health care.
Award and honors I have received through my involvement with horses is Miss Colorama 2011 and 2012. Miss Coulee City Rodeo 2013 where I also received the Royalty Title at the Sister Rodeo in Oregon, Best Royalty at the Soap Lake Parade, and Best Mounted Unit at the Cheney Rodeo.
As an FFA member I also competed in horse judging where I won numerous local contests, but also was a member of my chapters team that placed 8th and 6th in state.
I believe the greatest obstacle the horse trailer industry is facing is the general shift seen in the world to “Go Green”. This green movement entails using less valuable resources and causing fewer emissions. This movement is invaluable to the environment and could help future generation enormously. But it may not be as valuable to the equine industry.
One of the largest causes of emission is transportation, with a large majority of that coming from automobiles. Many have created solutions for this dilemma such as smart cars that travel on electricity and hybrid cars with impeccable fuel mileage. This might seem well until that fact that these new automobiles to not have enough power. As I am sure we all know horse trailers are not light.
I believe the greatest obstacle facing the horse trailer industry today is the shift from large gas-guzzlers to smaller less powerful cars. To fit into this trend horse trailer companies need to find trailer solutions that allow for fuel-efficient vehicles to tow them. If this solution can be reached horse trailers will successfully move into the future of transportation.
Caelan
© 2023 | All Rights Reserved
