Hannah McCabe Selected as NJAA Outstanding Leader for 2009

US - The National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) has seen a cycle of tremendous leaders go through the Association. Every year, many of them bid farewell to their days as junior members and continue on to other things.

30 July 2009

3 minute read

North America

Fortunately for the Angus industry, inspiring leaders always step up to fill their shoes. New NJAA Board members are elected as others resign, new queens are crowned by their predecessor, and fresh leaders grow from the encouragement of their mentors.

Hannah McCabe, Elk City, Kan., was recognized for her leadership and dedication to the NJAA. She has served as a leader and promoter of the NJAA for ten years, and was honored as the 2009 NJAA Outstanding Leader at the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) July 19-25, in Perry, Ga.

McCabe grew up on a third-generation Angus farm and has always had a deep passion for the breed and its members. She has become one of Kansas’s best representatives within the junior association and local community. She currently serves as Miss Kansas Angus and was a former Kansas Angus Ambassador, but her yearning to share her knowledge started way back in grade school when she would bring her Angus heifer to “show and tell.”

She sees her role as Miss Kansas Angus as a perfect venue to encourage others to become active in the NJAA and take advantage of the opportunities before them. Sometimes a simple smile is all it takes. McCabe says, “When I was crowned, I made it my goal to smile at everyone I met as if they had just won the whole show. That little action can mean the world.”

“Hannah is a role model for many Angus juniors through her actions, deeds and words. She lights up a room with her friendliness and her shining personality,” explains Mary McCurry, past president of the American Angus Auxiliary and past advisor of the NJAA and Kansas Junior Angus Association.

McCabe understands that power of a stronger leader and does everything she can do to help others succeed. She is the educational contest committee youth chair for the 2010 NJAS in Denver, Colo., where she hopes to encourage upcoming juniors to participate in these rewarding contests.

“Through my numerous years of competing in NJAS contests, I not only gained the confidence to buzz in on a question during the final round of quiz bowl, but I acquired the ability to stand in front of the public and educate them on the benefits of Angus bulls or eating Certified Angus Beef®,” McCabe says.

McCabe was awarded the Crystal Award at the 2008 NJAS in Des Moines, Iowa, for her participation in 13 individual and team competitions. As chair, she wants to provide that same opportunity for success to other youth.

McCabe was also an instrumental part of the Kansas Junior Angus Association mentoring program which is patterned after the NJAS program, with one exception; they include parents as well. McCabe and the Kansas Junior Angus Association implemented this change because they realized that the growing number of parents played a vital role in their junior’s involvement.

“I knew all the work had paid off when a father of one of the protégé approached me and told me that his son thought the world of his mentor and was even more excited to be involved in activities and attend shows,” McCabe explains.

McCurry says this about McCabe’s accomplishments, “She has achieved much success by setting her goals high, working hard to achieve them, and delivering to those expectations. You would be hard pressed to find anyone more true to the core than Hannah.”

The NJAA is the prestigious organization it is because of the outstanding leaders within. Hannah McCabe is a perfect example of the dedication it takes to make a youth program thrive. She is a selfless leader who knows the secret to continued success is to pave a better path for the ones that walk behind her, just as it was done for her.