Kaelyn Clark feeds her cow, Daisy. Clark hopes to show Daisy during the Summer Showcase, as well as some pigs. (Photo Provided)

Eighteen-year-old Kaelyn Clark has only one regret in life, that she didn’t join FFA sooner.

“Once I got started I absolutely loved it,” she said. “I feel like it’s turned my life upside down, because I used to be very set on being a trend follower. And now I guess you could say I found myself in a way that most people wouldn’t, and that is solely because of FFA.”

One of Clark’s best friends, Mekaela Staats, encouraged her to join FFA, and she hasn’t looked back since. She is a second year FFA student. Who has raised pigs for the Ham and Bacon Sale that takes place during the Wood County Showcase. FFA students raise pigs for about three months, send them to a butcher, receive the pig carcasses back, and cure the ham and bacon to be sold at auction. She said her proceeds from the sale will go toward college funds.

Clark is raising a cow, Daisy, that she hopes to show during the Summer Showcase, as well as some pigs.

“I am 100% devoted to taking care of animals, like it is definitely one thing I want to do all my life, which is why I also want to be a vet,” she said.

Kaelyn Clark stands beside her hams at the Ham and Bacon Sale during the 2022 Wood County Showcase. (Photo Provided)

Clark had always had the idea that she wanted to be a veterinarian, but wasn’t sure until about two years ago. One of her friends contacted her about rehoming a leopard gecko, Cobain, that had been refusing to eat. Clark said Cobain was to the point where it was so malnourished it could hardly hold its head up.

“He wasn’t doing well, and it was to the point where I had to force feed him with a syringe,” she said. “And that’s when I realized this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Clark still has Cobain to this day.

“It feels really good to have an animal put trust into you,” she said. “I felt like I was on top of the world.”

Clark plans to study for her undergraduate degree at West Virginia University of Parkersburg and then transfer to the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University in Alabama. She said they have one of the best veterinary programs in the country.

Kaelyn Clark prepares for the 2022 Williamstown Homecoming parade with her friends. From left, Addie Wiley, Clark and Mekaela Staats. (Photo Provided)

After college, Clark wants to come back to area and start a veterinary practice in the Mid-Ohio Valley, where she can take care of large, small and exotic animals. She said there isn’t an emergency vet, or a veterinary practice like that in the area. She plans to open her own clinic, and take house and emergency calls for the local animals in need.

Clark is a Williamstown Middle/High School student with a 3.6 GPA. She enjoys learning about agriculture and animal sciences. She plays Rec League Softball and looks forward to playing with the Williamstown team this season.

Through FFA, Clark volunteers in her community. She said one of their projects is making food bags for those less fortunate. It makes her feel good when helping others.

In her spare time, Clark expresses herself through art. She enjoys painting and drawing. She also spends an ample amount of time outdoors, fishing in the summer and hunting in the winter.

Clark’s favorite hobby is taking care of her animals. She has her cow, Daisy, a crested gecko named Mushu, a leopard gecko named Cobain, a dog named Ruger, a cat named Phoebe and two rabbits, Lulu and Stormi.

Kaelyn Clark warms up for a Rec League softball game with her team, the Williamstown Lady Jackets.(Photo Provided)

James Dobbs can be reached at jdobbs@newsandsentinel.com