Nicole Eilts appreciates time spent helping her dad, hanging out with her 4-H livestock and just being around her friends, family and pets, including her horse Dixie and her chinchilla Marvin. Eilts’ grandfather is one of her biggest supporters that got her involved in FFA and showing pigs. “He just got our family together when he got Alzheimer’s and he’s probably the reason we’re so close today,” Eilts said. Her family enjoys fishing together and “working as a team at the fair.” During the summer, Eilts said she spends most of her time outside but during the winter she never goes outside because it’s cold.

Eilts plans to go to a two-year school after graduating before transferring to Iowa State. She would like to go into something agriculture-related. “I grew up around the farm, and I really like being outside,” Eilts said. Trying the agronomy test with Heather Freund at Northwest Missouri State her junior year was one of Eilts’ favorite memories from school. They placed first in the Iowa Division, “not knowing what we were doing.”

Eilts said she likes relaxing basically anywhere at her house, like “in the barn, in my room, or in the living room with my family sometimes.” She also enjoys being at her grandma’s house. “She makes really good food,” Eilts said.

A big moment in her life was when she was showing her calf at the county fair. Eilts said it brought her closer to her father and it was a project she could work on with her brother. Another memory Eilts is proud of is getting a solo in Premier show choir for the first time her sophomore year. She said it helped her to become more confident in choir and to try for more opportunities.

“I’m really proud of all my accomplishments in 4H. I’m proud of how far I’ve come in choir, and how confident I’ve become with singing in front of people,” Eilts said.