Story Written by Ethan Drake
After a ten-hour drive straight north through four states, Chyann and I arrived last Sunday in Mankato, Minnesota. The Minnesota Pork Board hosted an outstanding Young Leaders in Agriculture Conference (YLAC) for the tenth year in a row, and we were excited to be part of it! It was a week full of both professional and personal growth. We spent three days submerged in discussions with other pork interns from across the states, and hearing from a diverse range of speakers and panelists. After the conclusion of the conference, we spent another two days in leadership training with a smaller group of interns.
Surrounded by over 100 other pork interns from across the country, we kicked off YLAC hearing from inspirational speakers Hunter Pinke and Mitch Matthews. Hunter challenged us to “have no more bad days.” This statement is something many of us would say is not really possible, it's a different story when a man who is fully paralyzed from the waist down challenges you to this. He admitted there are tough days that are full of growth, however, he chooses not to have any more bad days. When I asked Hunter what he does to fill up his cup since he spends so much time with others, I was extremely excited to hear him talk about his faith. He was followed up by Mitch who encouraged us to give ourselves “permission to dream big.” We spent time writing down all the dreams we could think of, posting them on the walls in different categories, and encouraging others to pursue their dreams. Mitch also encouraged us to spend 15 minutes daily pursuing our dream whether that was working on them, researching them, or even just praying about them.
We also spent time networking with industry professionals discussing how to have a good work-life balance, capitalizing on time with your audience, and being interested not interesting. Chyann really enjoyed discussing mental health issues and what steps Minnesota is taking to improve mental health outcomes in their state.
After YLAC concluded, our two-day leadership training with nationally respected expert Spike Craven of Integrity Communications began. Recording and critiquing ourselves presenting was a humbling experience to say the least. However we thoroughly enjoyed going through this process with other interns from Kentucky, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, and the National Pork Board. Two days full of laughs and learning left us with skills we will forever use. The networking relationships that were built here I will forever value.
While I could not be more grateful for the professional development that happened on this trip, we had some fun too. From hiking down to an incredible waterfall, eating ice cream with new friends, or trying to get a bison’s attention by bellering like a bull, these are some memories I'm sure we won't soon forget.
I would like to give a special thanks to Jill Resler, Minnesota Pork’s CEO. She went above and beyond to ensure we had an outstanding conference, encouraged us through our training with Integrity Communications, and took personal time to spend at dinner with us. It was a night full of storytelling and the hardest I have laughed in a long time! What an incredible week.
