User:Kyliecagwin

Early Life

I was born on February 2, 2000, in Peoria, Illinois, to my parents Shelley and Jeff. I have one older sister Brooke and a younger sister Ella. I originally lived in Dunlap and until we moved to Brimfield when I started 1st grade. I grew up on a farm raising Charolais cattle and some crossbred cows. Living on a farm raising livestock is not as easy as many people think. It is a seven day a week, twenty-four-hour job that does not get put on hold if you are sick or do not feel like going to work. So most of my time was spent outside, but whenever I could, I would hang out with friends or go to games.

Sports

Livestock and the cattle industry have always been a big part of my life, but when I was younger sports were my main focus. I played volleyball, basketball and softball while also being involved in showing livestock. As I grew older, I decided I wanted to be more dedicated to showing cattle and working on the farm, so I quit basketball and softball and just did volleyball and competitive cheerleading. I am now a member of ICC’s livestock judging team and love every second of it.

Education

I attended Brimfield High school from 1st grade until I graduated from my senior year. I have been taking ICC classes since I was a junior and went through their CNA program during my senior year. I now attend Illinois Central college and plan on obtaining a degree in science and applied sciences. My plan after ICC is to either transfer to Western Illinois or Texas Tech University to be a member of their judging team and nursing program.

Career

Ever since I was in junior high, I have dreamed of becoming a nurse. Nothing would satisfy me more in life than being able to accomplish that goal, doing what I love. During my senior year of high school, I studied to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). After working in clinicals, I realized it takes a special person to be cut out for a nursing career. As challenging as it may be, I feel it is the most rewarding job out there for me. Babies are born, life-long bonds are formed, and lives are saved. I want to be a nurse to help people through some of their most vulnerable moments, be there for them through their worst hours, and make a difference in their lives.

Goals

My goal is to continue my education at Illinois Central College, and transferring to Texas Tech University or Western Illinois to obtain my BSN degree, eventually becoming a Nurse Practitioner, and be a member of their Livestock Judging team. I think another important aspect to a well-rounded education is to be involved in extracurricular activities and sports, so I would like to go to a school that I can achieve both. I plan to become an RN for a couple of years and work till I'm in my 30s and then go back for my nurse practitioner degree. I want to work as a labor and delivery nurse, but I also don’t know all the fields I could go into so that may change.

Travel

One thing that I have always wanted to do is travel. For every spring break, my family and I go to Longboat Key Florida, which I love, but I have always wanted to go somewhere else to see the world. Being on the ICC livestock judging team, I have already been able to see over 20 states. Just over Christmas break, we went to Denver, Colorado, for one of our national contests. It was so cool getting to see the mountains while being in practice and waking up to beautiful views. One of my main goals of traveling is to go to Italy or Spain and try their Italian food and pasta.

Fitness and Wellness

I always knew that fitness and wellness were so important, but now actually taking classes in college, it has made me realize why it is so important. I have always been fascinated by how the body works and why. I thought it would be interesting to learn about how to better yourself through fitness and wellness and why your body is affected. Being a nursing major wellness has now played a big part in my life. I try to avoid certain foods that may be harmful and eat healthier to support my body.