Columbia, Mo.—Marlena Long, a senior at Paris R-II High School, has been selected as one of the 2019 Missouri Pork Association Youth Pork Ambassadors. Her selection was announced during the 2019 Missouri Pork Expo on February 12th in Columbia.
Marlena is the daughter of Greg and Laura Long from Paris. She currently works on the family farm raising Shorthorn cattle, pigs and row crops. She also sells show pig feed and wood chips for bedding to friends and neighbors and does artificial insemination work for numerous pig farmers in the area. Last year, she worked for O’Bannon show pigs in exchange for buying pigs.
Marlena is currently president of the Paris FFA Chapter and Area IV FFA. In 2018, she was a member of the 1st place FFA Missouri Meats Evaluation Team and also placed 1st individually. Her team went on to place 5th in the nation, with Marlena placing 10th individually. She was also a member of the Paris FFA Sales Team in 2017, where they finished 1st at the state level and 2nd in the nation. She has attended the HYPE Academy, Missouri Agribusiness Academy, HYMAX, and the Washington Leadership Conference. She won the State FFA Pork Speaking Contest in 2016 and was a guest speaker for the Pork Expo’s “In the Show Ring” program.
Marlena is also president of the Eager Beaver 4-H Club and was selected to the National 4-H
H Congress. She is treasurer of the Missouri Shorthorn Association, captain of the Varsity Cheerleading Squad, and has participated in Quiz Bowl, Science Olympiad and Math Contests representing her school.
She is on track to graduate in May with 60+ dual credit hours that will transfer to the University of Missouri in Columbia, where she will enter as a Junior in the Fall. Marlena plans to major in biochemistry and minor in animal science. She plans to explore options in veterinary medicine.
Throughout the next year, Marlena will participate in various events in the pork industry. At the end of the program, she will receive a $1,000 scholarship, payable to a technical school, community college or four-year university.
Qualified applicants must be involved in the pork industry or the son/daughter of a parent or guardian involved in the pork industry, and between their senior year of high school and sophomore year of college as of January 1, 2019.
The Missouri Youth Pork Ambassador program combines a scholarship opportunity with the chance to actively participate in Missouri’s pork industry. It provides an opportunity for youth to develop strong relationships with both pork producers and allied industry members, while improving communication and leadership skills.
The Missouri Pork Association represents the state’s pork producers in the areas of promotion, research, education and legislation. For more information about this or any other programs of the Missouri Pork Association, go to www.mopork.com, or call the Missouri Pork Association office at (573) 445-8375.
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