When the National FFA Organization announced its 2025 American Star finalists this past August, Star in Ag Placement finalist Amanda Osmundson was in disbelief.
“To be named a finalist is just incredible. Four or five years ago, I never thought I’d be here, and I never thought that I would’ve accomplished what I have so far in my life,” Osmundson said.
A third-generation cattle rancher from Oakdale, California, Osmundson’s project centered on beef production, where she helps manage more than 400 head of cattle on her family’s Beef Master operation. Raised on the ranch, she has always had a passion for cattle, but it wasn’t until she joined FFA as a freshman in high school that her advisors recognized both her love for agriculture and her potential for leadership.
“I got into the ag department, and my advisors saw potential in me that I had no idea was there, they really encouraged me to get more involved with things,” Osmundson said.
Inspired by older students in her chapter, she began showing beef cattle and went on to compete all four years of high school. As a junior, she became interested in leadership and later served as the Oakdale FFA chapter’s Activities Director her senior year.
“I grew a lot from that experience as well because I was a very shy person. I definitely think that being involved with my chapter and having a leadership role like that really helped me branch out, or kind of forced me to, in a way,” she said with a laugh.
Through her time in FFA, especially in leadership roles, Osmundson gained confidence and developed communication skills she now uses daily, whether with her professors, peers, industry professionals or back home on the ranch.
“It helped me tremendously with speaking and being confident, voicing my opinions. I was able to take that back home to the ranch and help there too, just communicating effectively and really showing some maturity.”
Recognizing her dedication to both the ranch and her FFA involvement, Osmundson’s advisors encouraged her to apply for the Beef Production Placement Proficiency Award. Under their guidance, she won California FFA’s state title in spring 2023 and advanced to the national competition.
“I got some really good mentorship through my advisors, and I was fortunate enough to make it to the national level with the beef proficiency and actually be named the winner for 2023. So that was really exciting and definitely a very memorable moment in my life,” Osmundson said.
As a national finalist for the American Star in Ag Placement, she will compete alongside three other finalists at the 98th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis later this month. The American Star award is the highest honor an FFA member can achieve, as just four members are recognized each year in farming, agriscience, agribusiness, and agricultural placement.
While FFA helped Osmundson develop her professional skills and opened doors to new opportunities, she credits her years working cattle with laying the foundation for her success.
“I definitely think I have learned skills that I would not be able to learn in the classroom at all, basic skills like vaccinating, branding and dehorning that are all very important to know for anyone managing cattle,” she said.
Beyond technical skills, ranch work also taught her time management and self-discipline, as the operation’s success depends on everyone doing their part. While working cattle is a difficult lifestyle, with long days and physically demanding tasks, Osmundson knows the principles she learned on the ranch will be invaluable to her future.
“I think that it will contribute to any career really — just knowing that you have to get things done and it might not be fun in the moment, but it’ll be worth it in the end,” she said.
Through the early mornings and late nights, Osmundson realized her connection to cattle was more than daily chores and checking calves, but a lifelong passion. Although it’s hard work, she remembers early mornings checking calves with her father and knows it will be worth it.
“Sometimes it’s really hard, there’s no days off with cattle. But moments like that in the early mornings, watching all these calves play around and seeing how beautiful everything is, it makes it a hundred percent worth it,” she said. “I want to have a future in our operation and everything that it stands for.”
Now a junior at Kansas State University studying animal science, Osmundson plans to return to her family’s operation for a career in bovine reproduction physiology. Although her passion for working with cattle was born on the ranch, she credits FFA for shaping her into the person and professional she is today.
“I’m very grateful for every opportunity I’ve had through the FFA. Truly, it has meant so much to me and it’s changed my life in some ways and really impacted me in very positive ways,” she said.
Kate Walker is a student at Georgia College and State University. Originally from Watkinsville, Georgia, she has a passion for writing and all things agriculture.
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