Making Life Better

Animal Science Major and FFA Leader

This upcoming year, Regina Holliday will spend 300 days on the road; travel about 300,000 miles; encourage more than 500,000 FFA members; and visit 40 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Japan – this all after wrapping up her fall 2008 semester in three weeks instead of five.

It's all just a part of her job as the 2008-2009 National FFA Southern Region Vice President.

Regina's Student Profile

Name: Regina Holliday
Hometown: Dublin, Ga.
Estimated semester/year of graduation: Spring 2011
Major: Animal Science

 

National Honor

On Oct. 25, 2008, at the 81st National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind., Regina learned that she had been elected a national FFA officer. Her journey to that position started seven years ago when she was a ninth grader at East Laurens High School.

"FFA gives you confidence you need, and it allows you to be yourself," Regina said. "It helped me go down a career path" and helped her figure out "this is what I want to do, and this is how I'll do it."

To become a national FFA officer, Regina first qualified at the state level. She then submitted an application listing her accomplishments and contributions to the community – which for Regina included being a College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Ambassador and member of Sigma Alpha agricultural sorority and the UGA Block and Bridle Club. She has also volunteered with the youth of her Dublin church and at the Humane Society, local hospital and a children's hospital.

Regina also has her own cattle operation, Hilltop Farm in Dublin. She started the farm as part of a FFA project. Her operation has grown from one heifer to 16 that she owns, manages and takes care of.

Back at the National FFA convention, she survived five rounds of interviews, an in-depth writing test on FFA organizational and agricultural education topics and two writing exercises. She was then one of six students elected from a pool of 38.

She's the only Southern girl in the mix. The other representatives hail from California, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas and Oklahoma.

"Today we may be in Montana and tomorrow in Rhode Island," she said of their yearlong experience. "I'll be living out of a suitcase, and I’m ready to start. I have some great teammates."

Back at UGA

"I came back to school, and some people had a surprise party for me," she said. She's also enjoyed the hugs, congratulatory Facebook messages, and being able to go to class and "be myself for a couple of weeks."

After her year is up, Regina will finish her animal science degree – and use her many frequent flier miles for a trip to Mexico. She’ll also get to play with her new calves, who she missed being born because she was in Indianapolis.

After graduating from CAES, Regina plans to study large animal medicine. With her doctorate of veterinary medicine, she hopes to practice in rural areas of Georgia, to "do the hands-on work," she said, "knowing that there's a need, and that I can help alleviate that."

FFA, formerly known as Future Farmers of America, has 507,763 student members as a part of 7,439 local FFA chapters in the U.S. and its territories. Regina is a member of the East Laurens High School chapter. She is the daughter of Tom and Mary Ann Holliday.

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