s a little girl, I found a desire to compete and be in the spotlight. Although I didn’t really understand it back then, I now realize it was that motivation that pushed me to become the person I am today. At the age of 9, I declared to my parents that I wanted to show a sheep at the fair. My parents were agreeable, on one condition - I had to eat lamb before I could show one which would bring understanding that this was a meat animal project and just how the circle of life really worked. So they bought a market lamb at the livestock auction and I soon realized that lamb chops are one of my favorite things to eat! And that is how my livestock journey began. Some of my most formative experiences in agriculture happened while showing sheep and cattle. There is something uniquely
humbling about working with livestock. You can have a plan, but the animal gets a say, too. You learn patience. You learn how to read an animal, adjust when something doesn't go as planned, and stay calm under pressure. Most importantly, you learn that preparation matters. You don't walk into the show ring on show day and suddenly become prepared. The work happens weeks and months before that moment. You can't always control the outcome, but you can control the preparation you bring to the moment. I would carry that lesson with me years later when I began preparing for Miss USA. Agriculture has always been more than an extracurricular activity or a career choice for me. It is part of who I am. I grew up with grandparents and parents who were
directly involved in the industry. Showing market lambs and cattle gave me an appreciation for livestock, competition, and agriculture. But it also gave me confidence, responsibility, and a work ethic that has followed me throughout my life. In 2024, I graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor's degree in agricultural education. I knew I wanted agriculture to be more than something I grew up around…I wanted it to become the way I served others. Today, I have the privilege of being an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor in Viroqua, Wisconsin. My classroom has become another kind of show ring. Instead of preparing an animal, I am preparing students. Instead of teaching someone how to walk into a ring with
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Olivia was one of The Showtimes Blackout Jackpot 8 Interns in Loveland, Colorado in 2008!
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