It’s that time of year again: YDLI Graduation! It’s a long, strenuous journey, but it is worth every minute of it.
What is YDLI, you ask? YDLI is an acronym for a program coordinated by the Holstein Foundation called the Young Dairy Leaders Institute. This program is not like any other I have ever seen. The dedicated leadership team at the Holstein Association has exerted an enormous amount of time and energy to ensure that participants receive an experience that is second to none.
The YDLI program hurt me — in a good way. It pushed me so far out of my comfort zone, my head wanted to explode! I never dreamed of standing on stage and speaking to a crowd or speaking in front of a camera on behalf of the dairy industry. But because of the training I received at YDLI, I now do it with confidence.
My wife and I were reminiscing about one of my first public speaking opportunities where my task was to merely read an already prepared introduction to a group of people. At the time of this specific event, I remember shaking in my boots, unable to raise my head from the podium, and stuttering on what felt like every word as if I had forgotten how to read. Apparently, this was quite humorous to my wife as she, in detail, helped me recall the event through a small smile. I couldn’t help but to start laughing, knowing how silly it was for me to be so nervous over nothing!
I credit much of my personal growth to the YDLI program, the mentors, and the classmates I had who stayed with me to the end. With that being said, I did not realize that these mentors and classmates were not going to just disappear after my graduation! After your graduation from the Young Dairy Leaders Institute, you get adopted into the YDLI family.
This year, we get to welcome another group into the family. This YDLI family is composed of some of the best and brightest minds in the dairy industry, and it is only growing in numbers and strength!
To all the mentors, leaders, and sponsors: thank you so much for taking your time to support such an amazing program. To the 2020 graduates, congratulations and welcome to the family!
Tyler Ribeiro is a fourth-generation dairy farmer born and raised in California. He is currently partners with his father at Rib-Arrow Dairy in Tulare where they proudly ship their milk to Land O’Lakes. Tyler is actively involved in the dairy industry, holding leadership roles in various organizations locally and across the United States.
The next Hoard's Dairyman webinar is February 10, 2020:
"Nutritional regulation of gut function in calves: colostrum and milk"
Michael Steele, University of Guelph, will present “Nutritional regulation of gut function in calves: colostrum and milk” on Monday, February 10, at noon (Central time).
Feeding high-quality colostrum is one of the most critical factors in calf survival and health. New strategies to transition calves from colostrum to high planes of milk nutrition early in life also will be shared during the webinar.
The webinar is sponsored by Cargill.
