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Tenacious Trio Prepares for Graduation
Tenatious Trio GraduationPrepares for
KRIRM’s 2022 graduates are grateful & optimistic as they pursue their passion in the ranching industry
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By Kindra Gordon
In May 2022, three individuals will earn their Master’s degree from the King Ranch® Institute for Ranch Management program – joining an elite group of 47 other graduates who have earned that title over the past two decades. KRIRM’s Class of 2022 includes Scott Crozier, recipient of the Clement Family Endowed Fellowship; John Worthington, recipient of the Four Sixes Endowed Fellowship; and Ethan Young, recipient of the Tio Kleberg Endowed Fellowship. Collectively, this trio navigated their KRIRM coursework while balancing the challenges of the global pandemic, and they have emerged tenacious, grateful and optimistic to pursue their passion in the ranching industry. Ethan Young describes the experience saying, “ e last year has been unique in that the program wasn’t immune to the e ects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our class got to experience remote learning, reduced class size, and travel restrictions.” But despite that, he adds, “During all of that, the program was able to showcase the ranching spirit, and that no matter how bad it gets we can’t go back and we can’t stay here, so we might as well go forward.”
Future Focused
It was that can-do attitude and forward-thinking mindset that brought these three men to the KRIRM program in the rst place. Young, a native of Utah where he worked at Ensign Ranches throughout his formative years, says he was fortunate to meet a handful of former KRIRM graduates while he was in college and working on ranches. Of those individuals, Young saw “how capable they were at managing,” and says, “I wanted to be able to sit at the table with them.”
Young says he was also interested in the systems thinking approach KRIRM uses, along with its mission to keep American ranching and its heritage alive. Likewise, Oklahoma native John Worthington, learned about the KRIRM program shortly after graduating from Oklahoma State University through a friend that had applied to the Institute. Worthington says his interest in KRIRM was piqued by the opportunity to learn from and network with professionals in the industry in a wide range of elds. He adds, “I also liked the format of the program and the projectbased learning approach taken by the Institute.” For Scott Crozier, who was raised on a small family ranch in northeast Utah and northwest Colorado, his introduction to KRIRM came through attendance at a ranch horse symposium hosted by the Institute. While there he ran into Justin Staley, who had been Crozier’s supervisor years earlier during an internship at Sheridan, Wyoming-based AgReserve. Staley, a recent KRIRM grad, introduced Crozier to faculty member Rick Machen. Crozier appreciated the encouragement these individuals and others gave him to consider applying to the Institute, and shortly thereafter he felt the call to pursue a path to KRIRM. Today, as Crozier re ects he says, “I feel fortunate to be a part of it. e classwork has been important, but I especially enjoyed the networking through the lectureships and symposiums. Meeting people and hearing their stories, there are great opportunities to learn from that.” Young counts the managerial nance course and projects as one of his favorite opportunities. He explains that the focus was on real-life scenarios that these individuals may face in their careers, and says, “It gave me the chance to see if I was able to approach the problem and come to a decision that has a nancial justi cation that is accurate. e class created the learning opportunity of the classroom while providing the atmosphere of presenting to an executive board.” Worthington has similar perspectives saying, “I’ve really enjoyed the symposiums/lectureships for the knowledge I’ve gained, as well as the networking opportunities that the events have provided. I’ve also enjoyed the opportunities to travel to ranches and visit with owners and managers. Learning di erent ways to approach problems and accomplish goals in diverse environments has been really interesting.” He adds, “I’ve enjoyed interacting with Institute leadership and my fellow classmates. I appreciate the opportunity to surround myself with individuals who are passionate, driven, and want to become better each day.”
Internship Experiences
Also valued by the KRIRM students was the opportunity to complete an internship in collaboration with a working ranch. Young completed his internship on a cattle ranch in central Florida, where he appreciated being pushed out of his comfort zone, and notes, “cattle ranching in Florida is very di erent than in the western states.” His project consisted of working with the agronomy, cattle, and GIS departments to develop a plan and a nancial analysis of pasture reclamation. Young explains, “ e ranch was experiencing loss of pasture productivity due to encroachment of invasive plants. I worked across the three ranch departments to create a standard operating procedure that identi ed the criteria for what quali ed a pasture for renovation and what renovation would look like. e nal part of the project included an internal rate of return on the identi ed pastures.” “I was able to take what I had learned in the ‘classroom’ and apply it to a real ranch. It showed me that I can perform these tasks and be competent in doing so. I gained a lot of con dence from this experience,” Young concludes. Near Imperial, Nebraska, Worthington completed his internship with Maddux Cattle Company. e project focus
KRIRM students appreciate the many opportunities to learn from ranch owners and managers while also visiting their operations.
was a nancial analysis of various segments of the ranch. Worthington says, “I gained a deeper understanding of company structures and the nancial decision-making process that leads to pro tability.” Crozier interned at Vermejo Park Ranch owned by Turner Enterprises at Raton, New Mexico. His project analyzed evergreen encroachment rate through a series of 63 transects. en from data collected, treatment strategies with a focus on hydro-axing were evaluated, along with nancial analysis. Crozier came away from the experience noting, “While this project is at the beginning stages of a multi-year e ort, it was neat to be involved at that benchmark level.” He adds, “While the project was complex, it was real and it’s rewarding to know they may take and apply your advice.”
What’s Next
All three of these individuals are eager for their next steps as managers in the ranching industry. Young notes, “I want to work for a company or individual who values the heritage of ranching … I am excited to be a part of the industry at a time that I will have an opportunity to in uence the survival of ranching.” Crozier is seeking a role that o ers a combination of managing cattle and horses and matches his passion for the industry. He notes, “People are going to eat beef, so the ranching industry is not going anywhere. I’m excited for the future, but the ranching industry has to be prepared.” He points to consumers concerns related to animal welfare and sustainability, as well as the rising costs that producers face. at said, he concludes, “It’s going to take a lot of business skills, transparency and innovation, but it’s needed.” Worthington is interested in a management position that provides experience in various aspects of a ranching operation, and says, “I have a background in agriculture and wildlife management; I would enjoy a position that incorporates a wildlife conservation component into a production agriculture operation.” Worthington concludes, “I’m excited about the opportunities that the ranching industry is o ering to recruit and retain people interested in agriculture. We’ve seen connectivity and knowledge sharing drastically increase with the use of social media and other online platforms. People are interested in our stories and want to participate in the industry to continue the ranching heritage and legacy into the future.”
Learn more about the King Ranch® Institute for Ranch Management faculty and students at https://krirm.tamuk.edu/ about-us/#students.
