SMS Senior, Garrett Hawkins, uses skills that he learned while in Alpha Gamma Rho to help him in his travels to Turkmenistan.

What does it take to be outstanding? Alpha Gamma Rho member Garrett Hawkins seems to have the answer as he was selected for the 2001-2002 Glenn E. Karls Senior Excellence Award for the Department of Agriculture at Southwest Missouri State University. And doors just keep opening for Hawkins – all the way to Turkmenistan!

Hawkins’ accomplishments led the way to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of an international agricultural project. Hawkins and Dr. Randall Andreasen, agricultural education assistant professor and AGR Adviser, recently went to Turkmenistan, a country in Central Asia.

The two men were selected to be consultants on starting a Future Farmers of Turkmenistan (FFT) organization. FFT is being modeled after our FFA program.
“Overcoming the cultural barrier was challenging,” explained Hawkins. “But you could see the enthusiasm in their eyes when we talked about the new opportunities in agriculture. Despite our language barrier they understood.”

Hawkins was raised on a commercial cow/calf farm. In high school he was elected to serve as the 1998-99 Missouri FFA Association first vice-president.

Hawkins currently serves as president for both Collegiate Farm Bureau and Agricultural Presidents’ Council. During his sophomore year he served as Missouri Farm Bureau Ambassador. Hawkins is also a member of Collegiate FFA, University Ambassadors, Delta Tau Alpha National Agricultural Honor Society.

Hawkins has future plans of going to law school and getting involved in politics. He hopes to someday lobby on behalf of agriculture and eventually return to the family farm.

Hawkins’ advice to other university students is to “make the most out of your college experiences. Work hard and take advantage of every opportunity.”
 

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