Maggie Terry ’22 exemplifies the roll of an entrepreneurial spirit in the non-profit space. Being “too girly for agriculture & too agriculture for the girly girls", she discovered her niche as the Events & Social Media Coordinator for the National Cowgirl Museum.

Prof-for-a-Day Presentation
National Cowgirl Museum
Flickr Photo Album

College

The journey began when Maggie “rolled up to college in a Ford F-150 with [her] little sorority sticker on the back.” Her small-town West Texas, 5th generation ranching family background meant moving to College Station was a significant transition. The first major roadblock came when her childhood dream of becoming a doctor shifted with the realization that a degree in biology was not for her. As is the theme in Maggie’s story, rather than settle with the uneasy feeling, she took the opportunity to transfer into University Studies – Business. The move allowed her to craft a degree plan that included minors in Agricultural Communications, Journalism, and Agribusiness Entrepreneurship.

Coming into the Agribusiness Entrepreneurship program, Maggie was not sure what to expect until one fatal 6:30 am phone call:

“Here I am in all of my glitter and my sparkles and recruitment garb, talking to Dr. Rister about how I am a 5th generation rancher…I feel like that scenario alone kind of represents how I have gone through life.”

As a non-major, Maggie appreciated that the program enhanced her leadership and innovation skills while aligning with her academic goals. Though challenging at times, the workload prepared her for real-world responsibilities and stayed true to her background. Having grown up in the middle of a family business, Maggie was able to explore and expand on ideas she was familiar with.

Life After Graduation

Upon graduation, Maggie initially pursued accounting but felt out of place working solely with numbers. Realizing her passion is in building relationships, she took a risk by applying for a position at the National Cowgirl Museum. “Mind you I had no events background at all…I sent them my resume and took arguably the first major risk I have ever taken in my entire life…Since starting college, that was the first decision I made that felt really really right.”

Maggie landed the job, leading to priceless experiences and the chance to advocate for women in agriculture, a cause close to her heart. Her entrepreneurial spirit and dedication have perfectly aligned with the nonprofit sector. When the opportunity arose to take over the social media pages, Maggie took on the responsibility and earned her new role as Events & Social Media Coordinator. The position has led to being a speaker at the national FFA Convention, leading panel discussions in Montana, and meeting some of her idols, all because she dared to pursue what felt right.

“Do not settle for a mediocre life” is Maggie’s mantra to young people. “I am not an entrepreneur…but I do have a little bit of that entrepreneurial spirit…I believe that entrepreneurs make their own luck, and I like to think that I have.” Her story shows that an entrepreneurial spirit – marked by leadership, advocacy, and hard work – can benefit any walk of life. From doctor, to accountant, to events & social media, Maggie’s courage to follow her gut and never settle is a lesson to us all that embracing change and pursuing our passions can lead to extraordinary outcomes.