Brittany Rice 5th Grade
Jen Szarlek 5th Grade
Woodland Elementary School, Elkhart, Indiana
Thank you so much for your amazing commitment to our 5th grade students. We appreciate your time and effort to help them build their character and educate them. Cowboy Ethics has been a very positive program...
Dear Mr. Moudy,
The first time that we met was in my fifth-grade class at Osolo Elementary School. I had just transferred from Jimtown and I remembered they organized classes from the end of the hall to the beginning based on your ranking or ability in school. Jimtown didn’t transfer any papers with me, and so I was the lowest-rated kid in Ms. Delgado's all the way down the hallway. You had stopped in the room to talk to the class, but the other kids didn’t want to listen to any of it. The next time I remember was right after NWEA testing, I had the highest math score out of all the kids and was sent all of the way to Ms. Keaver’s classroom at the opposite end of the hallway. It was cowboy ethics day and you had given me a card and explained that these principles are to live by. I didn’t think much of the card at the time and tossed it into a folder of papers from that year. Little did I know that those ten listed ethics were going to be the virtues that my high school career would be based on. I had a lot going on at the time as my parents had just divorced and I moved into a new and strange house, but I always enjoyed it when you came around in class.
The summer before senior year I found myself once again in a strange and weird place in my life. I had to move out of my mother’s house and stay with my father. In the moving process, I found a red folder with a piece of paper on the front labeled “5th Grade” with my name at the bottom in the chicken scratch that was my handwriting. I went through the folder as I did with my others and there it was, the cowboy ethics card from so long ago. I decided to put the card in my filing cabinet for safekeeping. I know that I had seen you a few times between sophomore and junior year, but it was the senior year we mostly connected. It was mostly because I wanted to hear your words of wisdom, and I was the new president of FFA at the time. At the time, I was struggling to restart the FFA club while readjusting to my new surroundings on top of preparing for college, but you showed me opportunities and pushed me to be the leader that I was meant to be. That even though I had my next move planned out in my head, it always felt better to hear a perspective that I trust on any given matter.
In the end, I achieved almost every goal that I had set for myself, even the ones that seemed so far out of reach. I’m content with my high school career and even more content that you were a part of it. I want to thank you for believing and investing in me Mr. Moudy.
Sincerely,
Joey Attkisson
How Cowboy Ethics and Agriculture has impacted life. Since freshman year it has helped me understand the importance of why we need it and understand the world a little better. It has shown me that we need agriculture for our everyday lives. Cowboy ethics has impacted me because it helped me understand to never give up on something that has been difficult for me. This would include not just in the classroom but also in my everyday life. It also helps me understand that I should always take pride in the things that I have accomplished. Believe me this one has been one of the hardest things for me to learn. Cowboy ethics helped me in remembering to keep my promises that I have made because others rely on me and that reflects my character. Telling the truth no matter the situation is another reflection on my character as well. My biggest take away of all of Cowboy Ethics is to never take a day for granted, not even a second of it.
Even though I have adventured into another pathway in my life in the medical field the “Cowboy Ethic Code” will always be a part of my life and will help me in being a better nurse in the future. Thank you Mr. Moudy for your time and dedication to not only Cowboy Ethics but also your students.
Serenity – Junior (Elkhart High School)
07-18 4:59 PM
What Cowboy Ethics means to me
To me cowboy ethics means fighting through the hard times and cherishing the good ones. It means never giving up even when it feels like there is no way out. And it means holding yourself to a high standard and working every single day to live up to that standard.
I met Mr. Moudy and learned about cowboy ethics my freshman year of high school. Not many people know but that was one of the worst years of my life. It was the lessons and values that I learned through cowboy ethics and those who taught it to me that helped me never give up and I truly could not be more grateful!
It helped me see the purpose in fighting for what I want and that is one of the most valuable lessons that I have ever learned.
It has shaped the person I am today and I will continue every day to fight, never give up, and meet the standards I hold myself to.
Jasmine Lantz