Networking

Hey guys,
Sorry it’s been so long since my last blog. Spring Break hasn’t been much of a “break” for me, helping my dad on the farm has consumed most of my time. There have been a couple things that I have done in the past week or so that I’ll touch on. Here we goo.
Last Thursday night I went to my first FFA Banquet, (Future Farmers of America). Both of my sisters have been involved in FFA throughout their high school careers, along with my dad. I however knew it wasn’t my “cup of tea”. My thought was always, I learn farming at home so why take a class at school. I have always known that I didn’t want to take the agricultural side of business, so I skipped the process of FFA in high school and took more academic classes.
Anyway, Thursday night as I said was my first FFA banquet. I never attended my older sisters’ banquets, and now my younger sister is a junior in high school and I have finally gone to one. My younger sister was running for an officer position, so I went along with my family. No surprise…..as she got Vice President.
At the FFA banquet there is always a guest speaker. This time it was Heather Hetterick, who if any of you are farmers know that she is the broadcaster of the ABN. She attends a lot of county fairs talking to kids, and reporting on livestock. Thursday she talked about the guiding principles in her life: where she came from, where she’s going and who got her there. Heather said, “As far as where I came from, nothing makes me prouder than saying I came from a hog farm in Botkins, Ohio.”
Since she was a little girl Heather always wanted to be a broadcaster for the ABN. So she decided the best way to get there would be to graduate from The Ohio State University. Smart choice if you ask me.
Heather recalled writing down her career goals of serving on the Ohio Pork Producers Council and being a broadcaster. She accomplished both goals along with several other accomplishments along the way, including graduating among the top 10 students in her class at The Ohio State University in the field of food agriculture and environmental sciences and serving on the Shelby County Farm Bureau. Hetterick said her final guiding principle is recognizing the people who helped her to become who she is today.
To me, I think that is one of the most important factors in becoming who you are. Recognizing those around you who have helped you along your life’s journey is pretty important. Whether it is a teacher, counselor, family friend, family member, just anyone; those who have pushed you the extra mile deserve the credit. We sometimes take for granted those people who see the “light in our eyes”, and push us to achieve our own goals.
Now, in light of that, here is the next experience……

A couple days ago I received a call from Lesley Fry, who I work for. She told me that Beth Keehn (who is our Admissions Director) wanted to know if I’d like to join her and a friend for lunch. First, I should probably back up to why she would want to have lunch with me.
One of the first events that incoming freshman can join in is “campn on the quad”. It’s a socializing event a couple days before the fall quarter starts. During the dinner meal of the event I was in line behind Beth. I had previously known that Beth worked for Bath and Body Works before coming to OSU Lima, so I was asking her different things about the company. Beth could tell that I was very interested and said she would introduce me to Lisa, one of her friends when the opportunity came.
Sooooo… here is where I can finish with my story.
Little did I know that after emailing Beth that I’d love to join her and Lisa for lunch that I would be volunteered to do one little thing….. To go on WLIO Lima’s noon edition with Holly Geaman Koza. Personally I’m not one that likes to get up in front of people to talk. But when given the opportunity I know that I can’t pass it by. So I swallowed my nerves and went on the show.
Lisa talked with Holly about the OSU Lima and Rhodes State annual Career Day, and the importance of making connections to the work world as you go through school, the high value placed on an Ohio State degree in the corporate world, and the quality of Ohio State grads.
I briefly talked about my personal experience interning, the opportunities that arise when you attend the top public University in Ohio, and how OSU has helped me financially through the RUDD scholarship.

After the show I think I was in a daze. It was one of those moments in your life when you think OMG…. did I really just do that?? I think what really got me was that when I’m home for lunch I sometimes turn on the TV and watch the noon edition. To be on the show was kind of unique.
The three of us, Beth, Lisa and myself, finished the afternoon going out to lunch. Lisa talked a lot about her job experiences working for Longaberger, and The Limited Co.
All in all it was a fantastic learning experience. Networking…. You will here that word a lot in college. I never gave it a thought but you get places by knowing people. By getting involved you put yourself out there and people recognize that.