Hannah Dooley from the Norfork Rebels and Teen Leaders 4-H Clubs in Baxter County recently attended the 2024 Careers for Arkansas Livestock Leaders (CALL) Tour.
Sponsored by the University of Arkansas Dale Bumpers College of Agriculture, Food, and Life Sciences, Farm Credit Services of Western Arkansas, and Arkansas 4-H, this experience leaves youth with a skill set that will make them more competitive in future college and job applications. The 4-day out-of-state tour provided senior 4-H’ers the opportunity to visit industry-leading businesses, explore animal science career fields, cultivate professional networks, and develop career-readiness skills. Each attendee underwent a tough application process consisting of a resume, cover letter, short essays, and interview.
In addition to the tour, selected applicants attended a leadership training comprised of a leadership assessment, creating and practicing elevator speeches, a session on improving their cover letters and resumes, and even teaching them to plan their own workshops. The tour itself featured stops at the University of Arkansas’s Dale Bumpers College of Agriculture, SEK Genetics, Kansas Department of Agriculture, Cargill, OSU Sheep and Goat Center, Pfeiffer Farms, Express Ranches, and Coulson Show Pigs. Hannah was one of 20 students selected for the inaugural CALL Program.
This was a great opportunity for Hannah and the other 4-H’ers to make connections and see the many facets of agriculture. I hope we have more participants from Baxter County next year. -Amanda Rychtarik, County Extension 4-H Agent