Past, Present, Future: 

Reflections on My Lifelong Learning Journey

Education and learning have been a constant in my life. My dad is a high school agriscience teacher, and he often utilized his professional skills as an educator in parenting. Whether we were fixing a piece of equipment on the farm or shopping at the grocery store, my dad found a way to turn a seemingly mundane task into a lesson. As a result, I developed an appreciation for the lessons I learned through the challenges and opportunities I faced. This appreciation for lifelong learning has served me well throughout my life and continues to impact me in each new endeavor. Lifelong learning is a journey that I have pursued through my 4-H livestock projects in the past, my graduate education in the present, and my career as an agricultural statistician in the future.

Past: Learning Through Livestock

My journey in lifelong learning began with a passion for continuous improvement developed through my 4-H livestock projects. Between the ages of 8 and 18, my life revolved around raising and exhibiting livestock at livestock shows across the state of Texas. While raising livestock has no clear relation to public policy, data analysis, or economics, I developed a passion for continuous improvement and lifelong learning through these experiences. As an 8-year-old, I raised 2 pigs and 2 goats for my county show. By the time I graduated high school, I had exhibited countless pigs, goats, lambs, and cattle which required responsibility, dedication, integrity, and continuous improvement. Being competitive in showing livestock meant being willing to learn new things every year. I was constantly trying to figure out the ways to make my livestock look their best whether that was through livestock selection, feed management, skin and hair care, or showmanship abilities. My passion for continuous improvement with livestock contributed to my passion for continuous improvement in life. 

Present: Expanding My Education

Currently, my lifelong learning journey is through formal education as a graduate student at Texas A&M University. There are two ways people perceive formal education: a means to an end or an opportunity to reach new heights. I fall into the second group. People who view education as a means to an end are driven more by the diploma than the knowledge gained through coursework. I view formal education as an opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills through a structured form of learning. This structure has given me a starting point for my understanding of quantitative analysis, public policy analysis, public administration, and nonprofit management through my Master of Public Service and Administration at the Bush School. These newly formed skills will continue developing through formal and informal education opportunities after graduation. 

Future: Developing My Career

The next step in my pursuit of lifelong learning is developing skills formally and informally for my career. It is important to me that my education does not end after graduation. By combining the lessons I learned exhibiting livestock projects and the knowledge I gained through my degrees at Texas A&M University, I plan to expand my capabilities by taking on new challenges and opportunities within my career. My goal is to improve myself and my employer by looking for new ways to attack a challenge. I plan to do this by participating in available webinars and trainings, remaining curious and asking questions, and engaging with insightful individuals in the workplace. By pursuing formal and informal learning opportunities in the workplace, I can expand my abilities and improve my value in the workforce.

Conclusions & Takeaways

Reflecting on my journey of lifelong learning, I am grateful for the early foundation laid by my upbringing. From the passion for continuous improvement developed through my livestock projects to embracing the knowledge gained through my formal education, I have welcomed the lessons learned through each phase in my life. These life lessons will serve me well as I begin my professional career as an agricultural statistician. Looking to the future, I am excited for the lessons to be learned by the challenges and opportunities I will face personally and professionally.