The Lincoln County Fair lights were bright, the barns filled with the sounds of livestock and friendly conversations, and a small 3-year-old girl was ready to take on the world. She had a show stick in hand and her first show hog by her side.

Little did she know, taking on the world would take on a literal meaning, taking her to a coastal city in Colombia in the next 18 years of her life.

“I started out with two $75 feeder pigs,” said Taylor McConnell, Oklahoma State University animal science alum.

McConnell’s love for the swine industry grew from there, she added. Over time, she did anything she could to grow her passion.

“Taylor and her family didn’t have the greatest success at first,” said Marty Coulson, Wellston Public Schools FFA advisor. “But they worked hard at it, and really started to show at a high level.”

McConnell’s whole family began to gain interest in the industry alongside her, Coulson added. As McConnell grew older, her passions branched to other areas of agriculture.

“Taylor was outstanding as soon as she hit the door,” Coulson said. “Anything she did was 100% her best, whether it had to do with FFA or her faith. She never took any shortcuts.”

McConnell was also involved in her youth group at First Baptist Church of Wellston, Coulson added.

“One of the first things I knew about Taylor was she was completely consumed with pigs,” said Adam Carter, FBC Wellston youth pastor. “She was a natural leader in all she did and was successful in almost everything.”

McConnell attended a church youth camp after her senior year of high school, where she felt a strong calling to go overseas and live on mission, Carter added.

“We were on the way back from camp, and I could see it all over her face,” Carter said. “On the way home, we talked through what she thought her calling might look like, and she gained a better understanding of what this lifestyle looks like.”

After graduating from Wellston High School, McConnell attended OSU to study animal science and continue her involvement in the pork industry.

McConnell also spent a summer exploring mission opportunities in other countries before her senior year of college.

“My plan was to be a vet and focus on animal husbandry,” McConnell said. “I didn’t think I could combine agriculture and ministry in a career.

“Then someone said, ‘Taylor, everyone needs to eat,’” she added. “It became clear to me this was what I needed to do with my life.”

As McConnell neared the end of her college career, she continued to explore options for service and missions within a career in the pork industry.

“My senior year, I joined the Pork Industry Group through the Oklahoma Pork Council,” McConnell said. “I have to praise them so much. It gave me so much perspective on the commercial side of the industry.”

The Pork Industry Group is home to some of the best and brightest students from OSU, said Ashton Mese Johnston, Oklahoma Pork Council industry relations manager.

“Taylor had a spark in her where you could tell she was passionate about both things,” Johnston added. “She’s always willing to help anyone with whatever they need. She’s a servant.”

When the 2024-2025 school year came to a close, McConnell decided she would pursue a life of missions and agricultural work.

Meanwhile, missionaries in Cartagena, Colombia, were seeking someone to establish a pig and crop project for the indigenous people groups, McConnell said.

“I was praying the Lord would show me where I needed to be,” McConnell said. “And they were praying for someone who knew how to raise pigs to move there.”

After moving to Cartagena in October 2025, McConnell began language school to learn how to communicate with the people in their native language.

“I’m still so nervous trying to learn Spanish,” McConnell said. “There’s a lot of pressure, because if I cannot communicate well, I won’t be able to effectively teach.”

After finishing language school, McConnell will travel to villages to teach animal husbandry and techniques to efficiently grow crops without having to rely on finances from other churches or organizations, she added.

“God doesn’t waste anything,” Carter said. “God gave Taylor a passion for agriculture and the pork industry and gave her the perfect opportunity to spread that knowledge and the gospel.”

McConnell’s goal was not just to work in the pork industry overseas, but to share the gospel using passions God instilled in her early on, she said.

“No matter what your passion is,” Johnston said, “there’s a place for you in pork.”

McConnell had a vision for her life, and the Lord expanded it far beyond what she imagined, Carter said.

God will continue to use her to teach others His love and how to steward the Earth, he added.

“Taylor never had a halfway plan,” said Scott Carter, animal science assistant professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences and McConnell’s former advisor. “She always wanted to learn more and took the time to put herself in a position to gain the most knowledge possible.”

A hunger and passion for knowledge, such as the one McConnell exhibits, is important for anyone wanting to execute a project in any industry, Scott Carter added.

“What gives me passion in life is watching people and things grow,” McConnell said.

“I cannot wait to put the things I’ve learned into practice to fulfill my calling,” McConnell added.

Story by Clara Duncan | Cowboy Journal