A lot can be said in 60 seconds. Or at least that is what dairy icon Maurice Core once said.
Neal Smith, the executive secretary of the American Jersey Cattle Association, shared that Core, a former executive secretary of Jersey, said he wanted all of Jersey’s area representatives to be able to do a 60-second introduction.
“He taught them to get up, walk to the front of the room, and tell them about themselves,” Smith says. “Don’t be shy and a first impression should always be a good one.”
Last fall, Dr. Katharine Knowlton, a professor at Virginia Tech, came to Smith and his AJCA staff, sharing that she wanted to help develop Jersey youth through an activity at the All American in Louisville, Ky.
Kim Billman, director of communications at AJCA said that Knowlton, Smith, Kristin Paul, director of field services and area representative for Illinois and Wisconsin for AJCA, and herself brainstormed ideas and the idea of “Give Us Your Best 60 Seconds” was born.
“This story got the four of us talking about helping our youth be comfortable on the mic – no matter how young or old someone is,” Billman says. “We want to encourage youth to be able to engage and communicate with others in any setting.”
The goal was to give youth a chance to:
- Think on their feet in a short period of time.
- Help ease nerves in front of a crowd.
- Create excitement about the Jersey breed and share their stories.
Camille Herrera of Ahlem Farms in Hilmar, Calif. decided at the last minute to sign up and enter the Jersey youth contest.
“I ultimately decided that it was only 60 seconds, and I couldn’t think of a valid reason not to participate,” she says.
While pride comes with winning, Herrera shares that what inspired her the most were the younger participants.
“There were a couple of little girls who also had participated that congratulated and complimented my speech while we were up on stage together,” she says. “Their words were most important to me as I remember the feeling of being a competition in similar events and looking up to the girls older than I was.
At the All American, 34 youth took the stage to share their stories. Billman shares that the kids were creative, fun and very engaging.
“The crowd loved it,” she shares.
Recently at the AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings in La Crosse, Wis., another “Give Us Your Best 60 Seconds” opportunity was presented, and 20 youth participated.
“From the comments around the room and the rest of the week, it made the event that night! Everyone loved it,” Billman shares.
It might only be 60 seconds, but for the youth who were brave enough to stand up in front of the room to share their message, it was a launching pad for future success.
The next opportunity for youth to participate in “Give Us Your Best 60 Seconds” will be at the 2023 All American Jersey Show and Sales in Louisville, Ky., on Sat., Nov. 4 ahead of the All American Sale that evening.
For more information on Jersey youth contests, including “Give Us Your Best 60 Seconds,” go to usjersey.com.
