Leading with Purpose

National Junior Angus Association member Lauren Wolter receives the Jim Baldridge Outstanding Leadership Award

By Ashlyn Murdock, Angus Communications

During one of the final stops on the National Junior Angus Show’s (NJAS) Route 66 road trip, one junior achieved a milestone she has worked towards for years.

From her early days as a 4-H member to FFA speaking contests, from mentorship through the Illinois Junior Angus Association (IJAA) to educational competitions at NJAS and leadership conferences, to her current studies at Kansas State University, each experience helped shape Lauren Wolter of Aviston, Illinois, into the leader she is today. Her dedication and growth culminated in being named the 2025 Jim Baldridge Outstanding Leadership Award recipient.

“My time within the Angus Association has been really impactful for me as a leader,” Lauren Wolter said.

Wolter’s passion for the Angus breed is rooted in family. Her family became first-generation Angus breeders when she was just six months old when they purchased their first Angus heifer.

“What was supposed to be just a youth project for me has exploded into a 500 head seedstock and direct to consumer beef operation known as Windy Hill Meadows,” Wolter explained.

At eight years old, she showed her first Angus heifer, Jewel, at the county fair. Three years later, she entered the ring at NJAS for the first time.

This marked the beginning of her journey in agriculture and first steppingstone in helping build her confidence and skills that would later define her leadership. Her first handson experience in leadership came through her 4-H club.

“It was the first organization I ever held offices in and was where I really learned how to public speak and lead my peers,” she said. “4-H gave me the confidence to run for positions within my state Angus association and eventually my FFA chapter.”

From these initial experiences of leading 4-H club meetings to being a role model in her state association, Wolter has furthered her involvement in the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA), building on these fundamental skills she learned as a young junior member.

In 2024, Wolter was not holding a gavel running meetings or organizing cattle check-in but rather leading in a red blazer and sash with ruby red stones, as she represented the breed as Miss American Angus. The personal development skills she learned at a young age though 4-H and the mentorship she provided to peers on a state level only grew as she graced the ring at national shows to advocate for the Angus breed and agriculture across the country.

Wolter shared that her favorite part of being Miss American Angus was serving as a role model for young girls in the Angus industry, while also mentoring older girls preparing for college.

“I really enjoyed working with the girls that were trying to figure out what college they were going to go to,” Wolter said. “I was a freshman in college, and I just lived that experience, so it was really fun for me to be like an older sister to those girls.”

Beyond mentorship within the breed, Wolter found fulfillment in sharing her experiences with a wider audience. Her crown gave her a platform to engage with producers and industry professionals, bridging her personal story with broader conversations around the beef industry.

“I love being able to talk about experiences I had in conversations with producers and people in the industry” Wolter said. “It’s rewarding being able to showcase how I've taken my experiences within the Angus Association and been able to make impacts in conversations with people outside of that [world], as well."

While serving as Miss American Angus was a highlight chapter in her Angus story, Wolter’s leadership story can’t be defined by just one role. From contests to conferences, officer positions to mentorship opportunities, each experience within the NJAA has shaped who she is today and has ultimately led her to Kansas State University.

Wolter is currently pursuing a degree in Animal Sciences and Industry with a concentration in Meat Science and plans to pursue a master’s degree in either Meat Science or Agriculture Policy.

When she is not busy in the classroom, you will find her being a leader on campus.

“I feel my leadership skills have truly blossomed [at Kansas State].” Wolter said.

At K-State she is a College of Agriculture Ambassador, an Animal Sciences and Industry Mentor, and is serving as the Government Relations director within the Student Body President's cabinet.

“Serving in this role has allowed me to represent student perspectives in a way that makes an impact as well as share my passion for agriculture with students who are not familiar [with the industry],” Wolter said.

Wolter’s leadership journey in NJAA has shaped not only her skills, but also her vision for the future. She sees herself as a bridge between science and communication.

“I want to be someone that’s intelligent enough to understand things from research and a science perspective but is a strong enough communicator to make it valuable to the industry and beyond,” Wolter said.

As she looks ahead, Wolter remains committed to using her voice and experiences to make a lasting difference in the agriculture industry. With a foundation built on experiences, opportunities and leadership, and an outlook focused on advocacy for agriculture, Wolter exemplifies the mission and purpose of the Jim Baldridge Outstanding Leader Award, recognizing a junior member for their involvement and supporting their future in agriculture.

This award is considered one of the most prestigious recognitions in the NJAA, one that is awarded to a special junior each year. The winner must submit an application that encapsulates a diversity of leadership and involvement experiences both within and outside of the NJAA.

Knowing the prestige of this award, Lauren set earning the title as a goal during her junior career but realized this accomplishment would take time and dedication to develop a winning application.

“It's not the easiest thing in the world to win,” Wolter said. “So, I really kind of waited until the time was right and it felt like I would have the right material and the right type of things to be able to put on my application to feel really confident when I sent it in.”

This award is in tribute to the late Jim Baldridge and his devotion to helping Angus youth through the NJAA. Bill and Betty Werner of Werner Angus in Cordova, Illinois, donated $50,000 to the Angus Foundation in 2013. Their donation created a permanent fund that awards a $5,000 scholarship each year to the winner of the NJAA’s Outstanding Leadership Award. This award, first established in 1998, recognizes one exceptional NJAA member each year for their leadership in Angus.