Ag Public Speaking Champ Receives Scholarship
Launch the media gallery 1 playerLipan High School senior Cameron (Camey) Powers was awarded a $10,000 scholarship on February 11 after being crowned the Agricultural Public Speaking Champion in the Senior Agricultural Policy/Agribusiness category during the San Antonio Livestock Show & Rodeo last month.
Her speech titled “When Care Becomes Cruelty,” centered around Initiative 16, a ballot initiative that was proposed in Colorado in 2021. The ballot initiative would have criminalized farmers, ranchers, and veterinarians who use accepted animal husbandry practices — like spaying and neutering, birthing assistance, and reproductive practices — to care for animals.
“What makes a good speech is something that everybody cares about, and something that would impact everybody. Every single time I go to one of these contests, there's always somebody who approaches me afterwards that says ‘I didn't know about that. That's crazy.’ These organizations in agriculture as a whole have given me so much, so it's just rewarding to be able to educate and give back; that's what keeps me going.” - Camey Powers