Lindsey Holtzclaw, Communications Specialist Russellville, AR

Lindsey Holtzclaw joined FFA when she was in 9th grade. She said the cool blue jackets are what initially caught her attention but fell in love with it as she started showing livestock. Her love for animals had her convinced of having a future in veterinary medicine one day. That changed as she got older, but her love for FFA did not. It was only the beginning of her future in ag.

During her sophomore year of college, Holtzclaw served as an Arkansas Arkansas FFA State officer. That year, she met Tyson's Communications Specialist, and learned just how diverse the career opportunities in the ag industry are.

Holtzclaw, originally from Damascus, works for Farm Credit of Western Arkansas (FCWA). She majored in agribusiness and public relations at Arkansas Tech University. She interned with Arkansas Farm Bureau and for Arkansas FFA. She also interned at FCWA, which led her to her full-time position as communications specialist.

There's a serious need for students to get involved in ag," Holtzclaw said. "Students don't always think that what they're interested in can tie back to agriculture, but they truly can."

Growing up the granddaughter of a dairy farmer, Holtzclaw has always enjoyed spending time on the farm. She never expected it to turn into her career, though. Unless you inherit land, or are born into it, acquiring land can be difficult. Lindsey gets to help new farmers get started, and she loves that part of her job.

"Whenever I was driving through Western Arkansas and saw the green signs that a lot of our members have in their yard that say ‘Proud Farm Credit member,’ that was just really cool to me," she said. "We help them in ways that other people weren't able to."

How could agriculture be a part of your future? Holtzclaw sees a "world of opportunity" for students.

"There's so many opportunities in communications, in lending, in sales, in science, in math that take you back to ag. And you don't have to go back to the farm," she said.

To learn more about career opportunities in agriculture, click here.

To find college majors in agriculture and salary information, visit MyMajors.com