Ethan Perkins

“She grew up on the side of the road where the church bells ring and strong love grows; she grew up good, she grew up slow, like American Honey.” – Lady Antebellum

With the exception of the word "she," my childhood can be defined by these simple lyrics to a country song, which is fitting nonetheless. I was born the son of a fifth-generation farmer and a nurse, growing up with nothing but fields of row crops, cattle pastures, and family surrounding me for miles.My rich, agricultural heritage along with a passion for the industry agriculture led me to UGA to pursue a degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics, following in the footsteps of my father and grandfather. Upon graduation, I hope to attain employment at a large, agriculture related company to work in public relations or marketing. However, I eventually hope to return home to help handle the business side of my family’s farm so that my family can be given the same opportunities as I was growing up.

My past is, in a sense, the result of years of land preparation. Every fear, failure, and success that we experience determines so much of whom we are and who we hope to become. This process of “preparation” is one of the basic building blocks of all that we do. Like my past has shaped who I am as a person, my history as a writer has determined how I approach assignments and developed my writing habits. Each previous assignment has prepared the field that I plant and develop my ideas for future assignments, learning from past choices and mistakes. As I face challenges and overcome fears in my life and in writing, I can only hope that I have prepared my fields in order to be ready to yield a bumper crop.