Story Written by Intern Ethan Drake
Three panels made a little round pen back in the cedars holding a black pig we called Bob and a red pig we called Joe. When Dad brought home those two pigs, I never would have guessed all they would teach me. As a kid who loved animals, I simply thought it would be fun to go up the hill, feed, water, and watch them. Little did I know it was going to open my world to nutrition, animal husbandry, responsibility, and a whole lot of time fixing fences. Who would have guessed years later that kid would be sitting here working for pork producers who take care of thousands of sows at commercial operations, show pig producers with barns full of babies, and probably some other wide-eyed kids driving posts to build pens for their first couple pigs like me 10 years ago?
My name is Ethan D. Drake, and I am beyond blessed to be one of the summer interns for the Oklahoma Pork Council. I grew up in Mountain Grove, Missouri, as a kid who always had a love for animals and a heart for helping others. Mom always said even when I was little I would rather watch a documentary about wildlife in Africa than a cartoon. That love for animals is what drove me to pursue agricultural classes in high school. Then after being cornered by my agricultural education teacher about my future plans, I realized my passions for working with animals and with kids could fit together helping educate the next generation of agriculturalists. My next step was attending Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO), where I was on the livestock judging team, and I am now a senior at Oklahoma State University (OSU) pursuing my degree in Agricultural Education.
While attending OSU, I had the privilege of being a part of the Pork Industry Group which introduced me to the amazing team at the Oklahoma Pork Council. It was an incredible experience and when the night of the banquet was wrapping up, I knew I did not want it to be over. I wanted to continue to work with this team, the board members, Oklahoma farmers, as well as continue to grow in my own knowledge of the pork industry and develop myself professionally. I look forward to working on all of these aspects as my summer continues here, and I could not be more grateful for this opportunity.
I cannot wait to see what doors God will open for me through this internship. I want to thank every person reading this for your support of the Oklahoma Pork Council allowing for incredible learning and growth opportunities like this internship.