Lamb Project character growth by Emily

Lamb Project character growth by Emily - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

Labor day weekend means 4 days of 100+ degree weather at the Mariposa County Fair. I was in the lamb show ring with my first ever lamb. I had made it all the way up from novice to top three advanced in showmanship. Me, a first generation, beginner freshman, in the ring with seniors who had families who had shown livestock for multiple generations. These were the final moments where I would discover how much an entire summer of work was really worth. Hours on end each night -training, feeding, administering medication, exercising my lamb, and desperately looking on youtube for answers to my questions, all finally coming into play. Nights of breakdowns, tears, sweat, frustration, moments of triumph, failure and success on the line. All eyes were on me. My lamb was panting with exhaustion while I continued to will him with all my effort to keep working. Beads of sweat were dripping down my face. I couldn't wipe it off now. I needed to keep my intensity and focus on nothing but my lamb, the judge and myself. Just a few more minutes. Finally, the judge smiled, grabbed the mic and announced the placings. I had made it, third place. My childhood dream of becoming a livestock showman had been fulfilled.

Living my entire life in a small town with a foundation built predominantly on livestock has taught me the importance of hard work, work-ethic and self-motivation. Like any worthwhile thing in life, my first market lamb project was not a linear line of progress. I struggled at the beginning because of my lack of experience in the animal realm and lack of a knowledgeable support system. I struggled with getting my lamb and up to the minimum weight of 100 pounds. At the fair, he weighed in at 103.7 pounds. Although it was hard and discouraging at times, my first project made me more willing to trust in the process and accept help through hardships. I have learned how to be bold and ask questions when I don't understand or know where to start. It has also made me more aware of those who may need help but are too scared to ask. It's my goal to be the type of person that I wish I had when I started my first market lamb project. This experience has made me more confident and made me realize that I am capable of being successful in uncomfortable or foreign situations. Looking through to the future and creating a vision for my end goal is what helped me stay on course and is what continues to assist me in my endeavors today. These morals are engraved into my town's lifestyle and are shared by the majority of my peers. Growing up around these high expectations has made me into the high striving student and reliable person I am today. It is a huge contributing reason I hold myself to the high standard that I do. The skills that I have gained from my livestock projects and town's culture have shaped and continues to shape my personal character for the better.