Riley Wanket, a junior at Pea Ridge High School, has received an offer of admission with out-of-state tuition waved from Texas A&M University to persue her passion, poultry science. Riley has been passionate about poultry science from a young age, with a particular fondness for her chickens. She has experience exhibiting poultry at our local county fair and is also competing at the national level.
Texas A&M generously offered to cover the expenses for her recent visit to the campus. During her trip, Riley appreciated the opportunity to explore both on-campus and off-campus facilities. What initially attracted her to Texas A&M was its renowned poultry science program. She stated, “If I want to be the best in the poultry field, I need to attend the best school.”
Riley was informed that she will need to apply for a $4,000 scholarship annually, but she is confident in her ability to secure the award. She noted that admission to Texas A&M requires students to be in the top ten percent of their graduating class, emphasizing that “maintaining my grades is very important to achieving my goals.”
Riley encourages others to reach out to prospective schools even if they are uncertain about applying. She shared that she initially emailed Texas A&M without expecting a response, but was pleasantly surprised when they invited her for a campus visit and offered to cover the trip expenses. She is grateful for the opportunity and glad she took the initiative to make contact. Riley will graduate as a completer in our Agriculture: Animal Systems success ready pathway.