FIFTH generation sheep breeder Shelby Garnett, 20, Gnowangerup, is one of two youth ambassadors announced this week by WoolProducers Australia (WPA).
Ms Garnett grew up helping with her family's Willemenup Poll Merino and Curlew Creek Poll Dorest studs, which number about 5000 breeding ewes, but is in Victoria at present studying agribusiness at Marcus Oldham College in Geelong.
She completed her diploma last year, is studying for her associate degree this year and plans to tackle her bachelor degree next year.
"I'm absolutely elated (at being named a WPA youth ambassador)," Ms Garnett said.
"I'm very grateful to WoolProducers and I think it is a wonderful opportunity and I can't wait to delve into it."
As youth ambassadors Ms Garnett and Samantha Wan, from Victoria, will have the chance to sit in as observers at WPA board meetings to learn more about how the wool industry operates in Australia and about the issues and politics that affect it.
Ms Garnett said she was "extremely passionate" about agriculture and international marketing and had been on work and study tours to Argentina, Vietnam and China.
Two years ago she was an observer on Wellard's Ocean Drover looking after cattle on a voyage from Townsville to Vietnam and helping load and offload them.
"That was a challenging job, but wool and sheep production is my passion," Ms Garnett said.
"I like to get back home to help I was over there quite recently for lambing."
Cunderdin sheep producer Karen Smith was also one of four successful applicants selected by WPA to attend a fully-funded company directors' course run by the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Ms Smith has strong community connections through Vibrant Wheatbelt Collective and Cunderdin Community Resource Centre.
Ms Garnett and Ms Smith were selected as part of WPA's 2019 Raising the Baa Leadership in Agriculture program.
WPA president Ed Storey said the seven successful Raising the Baa applicants came from diverse backgrounds and WoolProducers would continue to help develop future leaders in the industry.
"The youth ambassador position exposes people aged 18-35 years to policy within WoolProducers and gives them the opportunity to learn and understand the policy cycle and how a board works so they understand how many decisions that affect the wool industry are handled by WoolProducers," Mr Storey said.
As youth ambassadors Ms Garnett and Ms Wan will work on developing policy briefs and implementation strategies for two key industry issues, he said.
The company directors' course was "a fantastic opportunity for future leaders from all sectors of the wool industry to develop and refine their leadership skills for positions on industry boards", Mr Storey said.
WPA chief executive officer Jo Hall said the calibre of applicants for both streams of Raising the Baa this year "was of an exceptionally high standard".
"(So) we have made the decision to this year to appoint two youth ambassadors," Ms Hall said.