Last weekend, beef cattle industry enthusiasts flooded Fort Smith, Ark. to take part in one of the most prestigious youth agriculture programs in the nation, the National Beef Ambassador Program. I had the opportunity to be a keynote speaker, as well as a workshop presenter, and Cindy and I were both judges for the issues response portion of the contest. I’m proud to announce the winners of this year’s contest, the new 2010 National Beef Ambassador Team: Malorie Bankhead (California), Rebecca Vraspir (Wyoming), Ellen Hoffschneider (Nebraska), Jackson Alexander (Oklahoma), and Mandy-Jo Laurent (Texas). Let’s meet the team, shall we?

Malorie Bankhead is a freshman attending California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo majoring in Agriculture Science Communications. She hopes to one day become an agricultural journalist or an agricultural public representative.

Rebecca Vraspir is a sophomore at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. She is studying Animal Science with an emphasis in Business and Production. She plans on joining the meats judging team during her time at the university.

Ellen Hoffschneider attends the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She grew up on an Angus cow/calf operation, and is actively involved in the Junior Angus Association on state, regional and national levels.

Jackson Alexander is a senior at Anadarko High School in Oklahoma. Jackson raises and shows Hereford cattle, and because of his dedication to the beef indusry, he was named the 2007 Oklahoma Cattlemen of the year.

Mandy-Jo Laurent attends Texas Tech and is majoring in Agriculture communications, with minors in Political Science and Animal Science. She plans to attend law school one day.