Gene Inloes Memorial Livestock Judging Scholarship
Tayla is the daughter of Becky and Nate Wiedeman of Eaton. She is a Junior She is a freshman at Texas Tech University in Lubbock majoring in Ag Communications. Once graduated, she is hoping to work at a commodity group or corporation to help with their communications to the public, via social media, publications, marketing and other platforms. She would also like to lobby on the state and national level, advocating for the future of agriculture. The ag industry is the future of our world. 1.5% of the population is responsible for feeding, fueling and clothing everyone and that number declines each year. Even though the industry plays such a vital role in society, it still faces scrutiny, especially from urban areas.
Growing up competing through 4-H, Tayla learned that it was more than a club. It was an opportunity to create lifelong friends and memories while learning lifelong skills. She was involved in 4-H for 11 years, exhibiting market and breeding sheep. As she progressed through her career, her responsibility and hard work continued to progress as well. Knowing that your sheep are depending on you to feed and water them each day gives you a sense of maturity from a young age. For Tayla, her summers were planned around her sheep. 4-H also gave her various opportunities to grow in professional ways, all the while making lifelong friends. She served as the president of her club, Country Boots and Skirts, for five years and was vice president and secretary before that. Tayla is grateful for the leadership and organizational skills that she acquired through this position. One of her favorite parts of being president was seeing the growth and joy among the younger members' faces’ as they were rewarded by success in their hard work. Through Country Boots and Skirts, she volunteered for various organizations like Wreaths Across America and Operation Shoebox. Tayla enjoyed the community service aspect of 4-H as it was so rewarding to give back to the community in a meaningful way. She also had the opportunity to judge livestock at the national level through 4-H, travelling the country evaluating some of the highest quality livestock. She did all these activities alongside some of her best friends, making memories and growing her network, which she will carry with her throughout her entire life.
Tayla is the recipient of the Gene Inloes Memorial Livestock Judging Scholarship.