Junior Perspective
The Brakes Aren’t Working
By Colt Schrader, NALJA board of directors
Imagine you are driving down
the road at 70-mph, as you
look straight ahead, it feels
as if you aren’t moving at all.
But, as soon as you look left or
right just a little to gaze out the
window, you then realize just
how fast you are really going.
This scenario is exactly what I
am experiencing in my life right
now as my college experiences
are moving along at what
seems like that same 70-mph.
Time is flying; responsibilities
and deadlines for professional
education are coming and
going, like looking out of that
speeding vehicle window.
This truck isn’t stopping, no
matter how hard I slam on the
brakes. It’s hard to imagine
that this is my last semester in
Stillwater, Okla., on the campus
of Oklahoma State University.
This fall I will be student
teaching with an Oklahoma
agricultural education advisor
and correlating FFA Chapter
for the course of an entire
semester and plan to graduate
in December. Though I realized
this feeling would come and
go, I never thought I’d see
my turn to finally enter the
workforce with my future career.
It feels like just yesterday I was
a freshman moving into my
26 | APRIL 2019
dorm room in the small town
of Warner, Okla., at Connors
State College (CSC). Reflecting,
I spent my fair share of time at
early morning livestock judging
work outs, making late night
dinner runs to the only place
open past 11 p.m., McDonald’s,
and making memories I knew I’d
never forget. In my two years at
Connors State, I gained a lot of
life experience and even more
lifelong friends. I am grateful for
my experiences from attending
a junior college. If only I knew
then that this was just the
start of my 70-mph journey.
That single decision to attend
CSC provided me with more
opportunities from a junior
college than I could have ever
imagined. From that occurrence,
I have little to no debt from
my two years at CSC, which
was certainly not the case as a
student at OSU. However, the
greatest benefit I received from
CSC was being a member of the
beef show team and work for
the bull test. My experiences
on the show team gave me
an entirely new perspective
on show cattle and the beef
industry as a whole. Since my
time with the team, I now have
a greater respect for the Santa
Gertrudis breed and other slick
sheared cattle. Furthermore,
working for the bull test, I was
able to experience every part
NALJA Board of Directors
President: Randa Taylor, TX
[email protected]
817-504-6927
Vice President: Dominic Ruppert, IL
[email protected]
217-254-2558
Secretary: Hannah Ziegler, OH
[email protected]
419-618-2441
Treasurer: Lindsey Gulotta, LA
[email protected]
985-351-7674
Ex-Officio: Ethan Freund, CO
[email protected]
303-502-4605
Director: Aaron Linhart, IA
[email protected]
641-414-5060
Director: Callie Hicks, KY
[email protected]
859-699-3893
Director: Brooke Falk, KS
[email protected]
785-817-2214
Director: Zane Gavette, WA
[email protected]
360-389-7105
Director: Tristan Gulotta, LA
[email protected]
985-351-7643
Director: Colt Schrader, OK
[email protected]
918-704-2397
Staff Advisor: Katie Campbell
[email protected]
913-683-1415