By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Maplesville High School senior Aniston Bolding has enjoyed participating in FFA and volunteering during her time at the school.

Bolding had been attending Thorsby High School, but transferred to MHS for her senior to be closer to her sheep and calves she was working with as a part of FFA.

Bolding said she joined the Thorsby FFA in seventh grade.

“I showed cattle, so that really sparked my interest to be in FFA, and my Ag teacher when I was in weight grade wanted me to be on the livestock judging team,” Bolding said.

She said it was a new experience for her.

Being on a judging team meant evaluating the animals and giving the reasoning behind the evaluation.

Bolding said she was shy when she first began participating. Eventually, she became more comfortable with the public speaking aspects of the team.

She has won several first-place awards in livestock-related competitions.

During her time at MHS, Bolding has been a part of the Adirondack chair and raised garden bed projects.

Bolding will attend Redlands Community College in El Reno, Oklahoma on a livestock judging scholarship.

She said a judge at her very first livestock show was really encouraging, and she later contacted him about judging livestock. He helped her attend livestock camp. Redlands Community College is the college where this judge works.

She said she will study either animal science or agriculture business.

After completing her studies at Redlands, Bolding plans to transfer to Oklahoma State, Mississippi State or Auburn University.

Bolding said she was thankful to “my family and God and all of the faculty and staff here at Maplesville High School for supporting me.”

Bolding has been involved in the Student Government Association and was an American Legion Auxiliary Girls State representative.

She said really enjoyed the Girls State opportunity.

“I won my Federalist Party for Commissioner of Agriculture. Whenever we went in the full running I did not get it, but that is OK,” Bolding said. “I spoke in front of 400 girls. I’d never done that before.”

She is also the MHS cheer captain.

“I love all of the action that goes into it being thrown up in the air,” Bolding said. “It’s so much fun.”

She also played on the basketball and track teams.

She is a member of the National Honor Society with a 4.3 weighted GPA for honors courses.

She has been a part of several volunteer projects through SGA and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America.

“I love to be involved and meet new people,” Bolding said.

She was named Miss FCCLA in 2017 and the Miss Vista Pageant in 2016.