My Biography And Future Goals
My name is Marissa Lamczyk. I grew up in a very small town. My school actually filtered in my hometown of Sesser and the town just down the road, Valier. Pre-K through 12th grade are all in the same building. My graduating class only had 52 students. Most at Murray think that this fact is crazy and incredibly small, but for my part of Illinois it is pretty regular. Coming from a small town you don’t learn to deal with new people all that often, but you also acquire skills on how to keep everyone that you constantly have to see every day happy. Along with being raised in a small town I lived on a small family farm. We grain farmed while also raising Black Angus beef cattle. My lifetime experience living on my parent’s commercial beef cattle farm has given me multiple chances to work with livestock.
On our cattle farm I have helped with the birthing, weaning, and vaccination of calves. I have also assisted in the castration and the gestation of the cattle. Several years ago I invested into my own Boer goat enterprise, just starting with one goat. Working on my grandparent’s farm I have had the privilege of helping with the responsibilities and care of 300 Kathadin sheep. Also, while working on my grandparent’s farm I help with a Belgian draft horse breeding service. While working on both farms my duties included the regular care and feeding of the livestock, administering medications, mixing feed rations, and researching to help solve herd health issues. My passion for animals began early on in childhood and I’ve held onto it ever since.
In kindergarten when most children fill out what they want to be when they grow up it rarely ever sticks all the way into college. I’ve always had the drive to become a Veterinarian and continue to work with animals. In high school I had taken many classes pertaining to agriculture such as Introduction to Agriculture, Agricultural Mechanics and Technology, Animal Science, Agriculture Occupations, Agriculture Business Management, and Horticulture. To further my education outside of the classroom, I have attended a Veterinary Camp through University of Illinois, as well as attended an Artificial Insemination Seminar through University of Illinois.
Also while in high school I was highly active in my chapter’s FFA. I was an officer ¾ years of my high school career. I participated in many contests such as: Agronomy, Horse Judging, Livestock Judging, Horticulture Contest, Job Interview Contest, Quizbowl, Record Book Contest, and Ag Business Management Contest. The leadership and organizational skills I have obtained by serving as my FFA Chapter’s Treasurer and President will benefit me while working in the veterinary field. Also through FFA I have received my Greenhand, Chapter, and State degrees; I am currently keeping my record books on my cattle and goats to achieve my American Degree this year. Along with FFA in high school I was also active in band, jazz band, softball, National Honor Society and my 4-H club. In my 12 years of schooling at Sesser-Valier I had done a lot of thinking about how I was going to achieve my goal of becoming a Veterinarian. I honestly looked into Vet Schools before I looked into where I would receive my Bachelor’s. I knew that I really appreciated Auburn and that when I visited it felt like home. While visiting they highly recommended Murray State and it dawned on me that every summer I attend and work a horse pull that is put on in a Murray State campus building. I thought about it more and more and realized Murray was the place for me. It is large enough that I am out of my small town comfort zone but not too large to where I feel out of place.
When I graduate from Murray in May of 2022 I hope to be pursuing my goal and moving on toward Auburn University. Upon completion of Veterinary School, I plan to move back home and start my life. My plans are to work at a veterinary clinic for a few years paying off college debt and saving money to then be able to build, open, and run my own veterinary clinic. Growing up we always took our animals to my Uncle Kevin’s clinic and I have wanted to run my own ever since. I hope to be as successful and respected as he is. Any time someone talks about him it’s always in a positive way, and that is what I want in life. I want to make a positive impact in both animal and human lives.
