Eight students in the agriculture department at Missouri State University-West Plains placed in competitions at the 2019 National Postsecondary Agriculture Students (PAS) Organization Conference and Convention.

The event took place March 13-16 in Loveland, Colorado.

PAS promotes career preparation and leadership, according to Dr. Linda Wulff-Risner, associate professor of agriculture at Missouri State-West Plains and the local group’s faculty adviser.

Conferences include contests in career planning, career progress, employment interviews and comprehensive subject matter exams.

The conferences also feature various workshops, motivational speakers and other events.

The theme of this year’s national conference was “Climbing Together.” It drew over 600 students from 60 PAS chapters in 13 states.

Students who placed in the competitions include:

• Megan Beaver, Licking, fourth in career planning-agricultural education;
• Jarod Coatney, West Plains, sixth in career planning-agricultural education and second in career progress-agriculture education systems;
• Patricia Evins, West Plains, first in career progress-ruminant animal systems interview, second in career progress-ruminant animal systems overall, fourth in employment interview-livestock production interview, and ninth in employment interview-livestock production overall;
• Haden Garrett, West Plains, third in career progress-non-ruminant animal systems;
• Rae Kirkwood, Houston, third in career progress-agricultural education systems;
• Vanessa Kirkwood, Houston, sixth in career planning-agricultural education and ninth in employment interview-agricultural education overall;
• Lyndsey Parker, Salem, first in employment interview-agribusiness administration overall, first in employment interview-agribusiness administration interview, and third in career progress-agribusiness management and marketing systems.

Evins and Sean Loughridge, Licking, joined with Sharon Daves of Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield to place fourth overall in the livestock specialist team event.

For nearly 40 years, PAS has been developing two and four-year college-level professional agriculture students for the workplace through participation in employment experience programs, skill-set development, network opportunities and organizational activities.

For more information about the local PAS chapter, contact Risner at 417-255-7236 or LindaRisner@MissouriState.edu.