According to the Be the “E” 4-H Entrepreneur Curriculum, “Although certain traits are desirable, there are no specific traits that an entrepreneur must have to be successful. There is one element that is required, that must be in place with no substitute. It is having Passion. It is passion that gets entrepreneurs through difficult times with the necessary drive to find answers to seemingly unanswerable questions.”

A Barren County 4-H’er joined the Hoofbeats 4-H Horse Club as soon as she was eligible because of her passion for horses. It was “born and bred” in her as her Dad and Grandparents were all Barren County 4-H Horse Alumni and leaders.  Even though she was shy and resisted, she was strongly encouraged to give 4-H horse speeches, demonstrations and was a member of the 4-H horse judging team. She won many awards and held numerous 4-H offices on the club and county level. Her leadership and teamwork skills continued to grow.  As she began college, she was undecided what career path to choose.  As this Agent and she discussed her future, the conversation always returned to her passion for horses.  As she continued in college she received a BS in Equine Science and decided to open her own rehabilitation center for horses back in Barren County.

With the cost of building and equipping such a facility, she has made presentations (which she credits to her 4-H communications experiences) at KY Agriculture Development Boards and received approximately $40,000 in grant funding.  Through personal and private investments, she has been able to build her barn and make her passion for horses her career.  She recently thanked many people for “helping push her dreams to become a reality”.