FEBRUARY 2018 PARKER COUNTY TODAY our youth : AG STARS
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Skyler Robertson
Sky ’ s the Limit in FFA
By MELISSA MOORMAN
Senior Skyler Robertson is a pro at showing pigs ; she ’ s been doing it for more than a decade . And she ’ s done well , having made the sale at least eight of those 10 years at the Parker County Youth Livestock Show sale alone .
According to her dad , Dustin Robertson , he started her off by purchasing her animals and feed the first year . She ’ s self-sufficient now , using her winnings in subsequent years to buy animals , feed and pay for improvements to their facilities . Showing pigs is a family affair ; Skyler shows with her younger brother .
“ If it were not for my dad , I would never have even thought about being involved in the FFA . I want to thank him for all that he has helped me with and for always pushing me to do my best ,” she said .
They choose names for their animals based on a theme ; for example , last year ’ s names were based on characters from the movie “ Toy Story .” They haven ’ t chosen a theme for this year yet . “ We wait and see how many pigs we have in the barn . We pick them out and see their personalities ,” Skyler said .
Skyler began her Ag experience in Peaster FFA before the family moved to Brock . “ When I moved to Brock my sophomore year I applied and did a speech to become an officer . This year I am our secretary . I ’ ve competed in the radio competition and I wrote our entire radio script for Brock . I ’ ve done livestock judging as well ,” she said . She hopes to pick up a new team this year and try something new . “ I want to try it out for experience .”
Now , she ’ s involved in cheerleading , volleyball , National Honor Society and is on the varsity golf team .
She also earned her Lone Star Farmer Degree during the Texas FFA convention , the highest degree of membership the State FFA Association can award . It is based on membership , scholarship , leadership skills and involvement in FFA at the chapter level and above . She also models for a local clothing store : the Twisted Texan .
Her favorite part of being involved in Ag is showing . “ I ’ ve been doing that since I was 7 . That ’ s something that I do with my Dad . My favorite show is Parker County . It ’ s in the summertime and I like the summer more . It ’ s more laid-back and there ’ s more opportunity for more people to do well , not just the champion and the grand champion ,” she said .
Skyler is looking forward to heading to Lubbock to attend Texas Tech next fall where she will study nursing . She ’ s following in the footsteps of many of her family members who work in the healthcare field .
“ It ’ s a way to connect and care for others . My grandfather has had some heart problems and he ’ s had great care . I want to do that for others ,” she said . She will be graduating from Brock with 40 hours of college credit which will allow her to earn her degree in nursing in only two and a half years . She then plans to go somewhere closer to home to earn an advanced degree and become a physician assistant . She learned many valuable lessons during her years participating in Ag that she will take with her to college .
“ I like being around Ag kids and the teachers that are involved . Not all kids get to experience it . It helps prepare you for your career and helps you learn to speak in front of people . Ag kids are held to a different standard . You have to be able to work well with others . A lot of my Ag teachers try to find something that everyone is good at . They want to help guide you and find something to do with your life .”