Story by Ann Houston

Miss Oklahoma CareerTech Champion

Elizabeth Kinney credits her current title as Miss Oklahoma, in large part, to skills learned through active participation in CareerTech student organizations. That credit, in turn, earns her recognition as an Oklahoma CareerTech Champion.

“There is no way I could have been Miss Oklahoma without the skills I developed through CareerTech student organizations,” the reigning Miss Oklahoma said. “In fact those experiences are the No. 1 thing that separated me from the other girls at Miss Oklahoma and Miss America competitions.” (Kinney placed sixth in the nation in the 2004 Miss America Pageant.)

That is why she is being recognized as a CareerTech champion, according to Phil Berkenbile, CareerTech state director.

“CareerTech Champions are alumni of the system's programs or student organizations who attribute much of their success to their CareerTech experience,” Berkenbile said.“Miss Oklahoma Elizabeth Kinney’s parents are also CareerTech instructors in Mooreland, so her CareerTech roots run deep.”

Kinney’s dad is an agricultural education instructor and her mom, a “home economics” – now called family and consumer sciences education – teacher. Kinney was introduced at an early age to the value of these programs.

Her first classroom experience, though, was in junior high school where Kinney was active in several CareerTech programs and the student organizations. She was a member of FFA, the student organization for agricultural education; the former “FHA,” now called Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), the organization for family and consumer sciences education, and Technology Student Association (TSA), the organization for technology education.

Showing livestock was Kinney’s first FFA project. But, she admits, the public speaking and leadership programs FFA provided are what really motivated her to become an active member.

“The first time I had ever learned about setting goals was when I joined FFA in the eighth grade,” she said. “I set a goal to be Miss Oklahoma after that. The public speaking skills developed in FFA were key to winning the Miss Oklahoma title where I had to be comfortable in interviews and talking on stage in front of thousands of people.”

She continued her FFA involvement throughout college, serving as the State FFA Reporter in 2000-01.
Right now, Kinney incorporates the skills learned through FFA into the responsibilities of Miss Oklahoma and the speeches she gives every day.

“Goal-setting, perseverance, making positive choices, having a positive attitude – a lot of things I do as Miss Oklahoma – I first experienced as the State FFA Reporter. State FFA officers travel and speak at schools, work with corporate donors, are ambassadors for the state and the organization,” said Kinney.

While the development of practical skills is expected in CareerTech programs – computer science, cooking, sewing on buttons –Kinney learned many soft skills that are now paying off.

“In Agricultural Education, I developed better reasoning and quick thinking skills through livestock evaluation, along with communication and teamwork abilities in all the programs,” she said. “But most importantly, I learned more about my strengths and where I excelled. If you want to be a success, you have to know your talents and then maximize those.”

As Miss Oklahoma, Kinney travels the state speaking almost daily to two or three schools, speaking at conventions, community functions, store openings and parades.

“In all reality, I don’t spend much time using practical skills like working with my livestock, balancing feed rations, and building wooden cars,” Kinney said. “But I do use the soft skills every single day. Time-management, public speaking, teamwork, leadership, communication – those are the things I’ve learned that will aid me my entire life.”

As the reigning Miss Oklahoma, Kinney also spends time promoting her program to end hunger in Oklahoma – something she is passionate about and that also ties into her agricultural background.

“When people don’t have money to buy food, the first thing they cut from their diet is fresh fruit, vegetables and lean meats,” Kinney said. “They live on a diet of cheap, non-nutritious fast foods. The agricultural sector can help by planting community gardens, donating meat to food banks, and working with schools to get healthy foods into the school system.”

CareerTech student organizations also are breeding grounds for lasting friendships.

“Most of my best friends and the people I look to for advice are people I met through CareerTech programs,” Kinney said. “In fact, a handful of former FFA buddies even came to Atlantic City to watch me at Miss America! That is a support system I couldn’t find anywhere else!”

This Mooreland High School graduate has come a long way.

Graduating from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Communication and a minor in Agricultural Economics, next year she’ll attend graduate school at the University of Leeds in England to obtain a Master of Arts in Political Communication, putting to good use the more than $30,000 of scholarships won as Miss Oklahoma.

And, the lifelong skills learned in junior high school will continue to be valuable as she pursues her career goal as a television news journalist.

Kinney advises youth today not to give up, but to take advantage of every opportunity.

“Sometimes you may not understand why livestock judging is important, but it is those hidden skills you learn – like quick thinking, communication, analyzing and accountability – that will separate you from everybody else.”

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