As we wrap up another exciting, fast-paced, tiring and truly rewarding show in Georgia, it is time to reflect. This weekend, I was reminded of the passion, service and responsibility that comes with an National Junior Swine Association (NJSA) Junior Board leadership position. Leadership is a very general term used so frequently in this stage of my life (college) that it’s true meaning has become null or less than noticeable. The fact is, leadership may be the most important skill I will continue to develop. Through each new position I take on I unlock another key component of what it means to be a true leader. The NJSA Junior Board highlights humble service’s role in being an effective leader.
Taking on the role of a Junior Board member, I saw the position as an honor and an opportunity to meet and develop industry contacts while sticking to something I know and love. The role of a Junior Board member has developed those assets but means so much more. This weekend I was exposed to the heart and soul of our organization – the passion each of our members has to work hard for something that to be really honest has more silent victories – disguised as repeated losses – than banners and ribbons. Serving on the Junior Board means more than announcing and handing out awards; it means waking up at 5 a.m. to run a show and never sitting down to make sure that show runs as smoothly as possible. It means taking the time to congratulate and make every kid who walks into that ring feel like a success, because that is exactly what they are. Growing up in the NJSA created a sense of debt I needed to pay off. Serving on the board is allowing me to invest back into the organization I have always loved.
Beyond the opportunity to give back to my roots, the board has given me memories and friends of the highest caliber. Not only do we work with and mentor the brightest and hardest working kids in the world, but I also get to work alongside the best of the best. The NJSA is based on families, and the board has allowed me to expand my NJSA family farther than I knew possible. Yes, I have made professional contacts of those who lead the industry, but more importantly, I am developing fulfilling friendships. There is something about bonding over how to make a foot rubbing train with complete sincerity after a 12-15 hour show day that makes you smile. So the moral of this rant is that being a junior board member for the NJSA has meant fulfilling a portion of my heart, not my resume. The smiles of all the little show nuggets (as Kaley would affectionately call them), the sincere thank you spoken by a parent and the inside jokes that can be formed during a short trip to Georgia have a place in my heart forever.
-Danika Miller