1/4/2012
Two West Virginia natives have received International Stockmen’s Education Foundation Travel Fellowships to attend the International Livestock Congress in Denver, Colo., in January.
Texas A&M University student Megan Webb of Burlington, and Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine student Oliver Irons of Lewisburg, were among 12 students from 11 universities and 7 countries chosen for the honor, which covers their travel and lodging expenses at the event. Only six students from the United States received fellowships for the 2012 event.
“I was really excited and surprised to be selected. It’s really prestigious. They only take six from the U.S. and I think it’s impressive for West Virginia that two of us have been selected,” Webb said. “Working in the beef industry is my passion. I hope this will ignite my career.”
She said she’s unsure of the exact course she’d like her career to take, but she’s interested in international marketing, teaching and says owning her own farm is a distinct possibility. She has exhibited Angus cattle at the State Fair of West Virginia and was the West Virginia Beef Queen in 2008.
Webb interned at the National Cattleman’s Beef Association in Washington, D.C., this past summer and is the only undergraduate to receive a fellowship for the 2012 Livestock Congress.
Irons is also excited to be one of those selected. “It’s an opportunity to meet leaders in the industry, both internationally and from within the U.S.,” he said. “It’s also a chance to meet students from across the world and share ideas.”
Irons earned his undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech, and has worked in the family business – a beef operation that manages about 600 commercial cows and about 1,000 yearlings annually. Part of the operation is implanting embryos and that was one of the driving reasons for him attending veterinary school.
His interests include trading cattle, exporting live cattle, bovine genetics and, of course, veterinary medicine.
This trip to Denver will not be his first.
The International Livestock Congress is held in conjunction with the Western Stock Show, “the coolest stock show in America,” according to Webb.
Irons said he has been to the stock show a number of times with his family to buy and show cattle.
“It’s a little more unique than a lot of the other shows. There are so many different sales going on than just cattle,” Irons noted.
West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass said he was thrilled when he heard two West Virginians were selected for the fellowships.
“This is something that I’ve tried to impress on people across the country and throughout West Virginia. The quality of West Virginia agriculture and farmers is second to none. These fellowships are well-deserved, and I’m certain these two young people will be outstanding representatives of the Mountain State throughout their careers,” said Commissioner Douglass.
The winners of the fellowships were selected by a multi-national committee that considered scholastic achievement, leadership experiences and professional references in making their decisions. This meeting provides students with the opportunity to interact with world industry leaders, and to make their own contributions to the advancement of the livestock industry.
For more information about the International Stockmen’s Education Foundation, call Wendy Woerner at 970- 515-7634.
Contact Information
Wendy Woerner
970- 515-7634