As a child I was exposed to the world of agriculture through my father who broke horses and hailed from a farm family. I guess you could say agriculture is in my blood.
While attending Yukon High School I was very active in FFA and every year from October to March I would wake early, rain, shine, sleet or snow, to drive out to the school farm to slop and water hogs. After school, it was back to the farm to clean pens, spread straw, walk and slop hogs. While other kids my age were cruising the streets and going to parties, I spent my weekends loading, bathing and showing hogs. This experience taught me responsibility, pride and work ethic, molding me into the person I am today.
During, high school I also spent time honing my creative skill; learning layout & design concepts, film developing in the darkroom, silk screening and graphic arts at Canadian Valley Technology Center in El Reno, Okla. I quickly developed a love and passion for design.
A logo I designed while attending CVTC in commercial and graphic arts was picked as the official logo for the Student Assistant Program at Yukon High School. It was used on business cards, stationery and brochures.
As a teenager graduating from high school I had big dreams. I joined the Oklahoma National Guard and was to serve my state and my country while attending Redlands Community College on a scholarship for Equine Science.
BUT… A bigger plan was in store for me; becoming a mother would take me down a new path. My passion and number one priority quickly became my children prompting me to push all my goals and dream aside to nurture those of my kids.
Although I achieved an Associate of Applied Science in Business Administration in my late twenties and spent many years working in an administrative capacity, I still felt a void.
My creative side had been lost in a sea of daily correspondences and various administrative functions, and my love for agriculture had just about vanished.
After spending time with my children teaching them how to care for their FFA and 4-H animal projects my heart and soul began to dance with enthusiasm. At last my passion for agriculture had been revived.
My children are now grown. My oldest with a family of his own and my youngest preparing to attend college. Now they are less dependent thus opening up the opportunity for me to focus on the dreams and goals I had once set aside.
In August 2012, I began on my path of success starting with attending Oklahoma State University, where I would declare a major in agricultural communication and attend classes to learn the skills necessary to write, edit, layout, design, produce and photograph for a variety of media, to include print, web and social media.
I also served as an officer in Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow where I would help plan and conduct monthly meetings. I also had the opportunity to use my learned skills to produce monthly newsletters, design flyers, and plan events while interning for the Family Resource Center.
Since graduating in May, I have worked as an independent contractor designing logos, brochures, flyers, web pages and other marketing material for a manufactured home dealer.
My ideal career path would be to use my layout and design skills to help produce a top rated agricultural publication.
Take a look, if you like what you see contact me
Dedra D Baker 