Jessica Marsh grew up in Liberty Hill, Texas, and is now an animal science major at Texas Tech University. Marsh was raised on her family’s farm where she first gained her passion for agriculture through her father’s roping horses. The responsibilities the animals gave Marsh in her early childhood laid the foundation for her future endeavors.

“It wasn’t really a particular moment that caused me to select my major, but a combination of my love for animals and the lessons they taught me growing up,” Marsh said.

Through high school, Marsh showed market lambs and goats competitively across Texas. However, it was not until reaching out to a Texas Tech professor that Marsh found her true passion.

“I reached out to Dr. Jackson to see what research he was working on regarding sheep,” Marsh said. “Getting involved with the research really opened my eyes to just how much I didn’t know about the industry and made me want to learn more.”

Sam Jackson, Ph.D., serves as a mentor to Marsh by helping facilitate her research.

 “Jessica is a very bright, hard-working student,” Jackson said. “She tends to business relative to her duties and goes above and beyond what is asked of her.”

Marsh anticipates continuing her education after receiving her undergraduate degree and aspires to attain a master’s degree in livestock nutrition. Even with big dreams, Marsh stays true to herself and wants to continue to learn as much as possible to be beneficial to the industry she holds close to her heart.            

“My goal has always been to earn high grades or get my dream job,” Marsh said. “At the end of the day, I just hope to be as passionate about what I do and be able to shine a positive light on the agriculture industry.”