OSU students participating in OYE's leadership program learned about the Oklahoma Pork Council, Remington Park, and the Lazy E Arena on their recent agriculture tour in Oklahoma City.

Last week, Oklahoma Pork enjoyed meeting with students in the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Encounter (OALE) to discuss pork production, agricultural advocacy, career development and more.

OALE is a year-long collegiate leadership program led by the Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE) staff for Oklahoma State University (OSU) students studying agriculture. OYE's board first developed the experience in 2003 after identifying a gap in livestock-related agricultural leadership learning after high school. Students accepted into OALE participate in 10 enriching agricultural experiences throughout the academic year, including hands-on tours throughout the state, a visit to Washington, D.C., and an international trip.

While learning about the Oklahoma Pork Council, OALE Class XX heard from Kylee Deniz about our team's rewarding work serving pork producers across the state. Kylee shared more details about pork's significant economic impact to Oklahoma and the diverse opportunities for successful careers in pork production. This meeting also provided a fun opportunity to spotlight OALE member Kalley Whitlock who participated in our organization's Pork Industry Group in 2021 and served as Oklahoma Pork's campus liaison for Pork Industry Group in 2022.

Oklahoma Pork's staff and board love opportunities to pour into the next generation of agriculture leaders. Adding students like these into our network of pork advocates will continually reap rewards as these young people build their careers across agriculture for years to come. If you know a student group of any age that could benefit from learning more about pork, email us!