If there’s one thing Moffat County graduate Carter Green has learned in his childhood, it’s the value of work.

And that’s why he’s planning to attend an institution that will put his skills to use as well as building some more talents.

Green plans to attend WyoTech this fall, a vocational school in Laramie, Wyoming that specializes in training for auto body work and the aspects that come with it, ranging from automotive and diesel technology to collision repair and refinishing.

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“I think that should give me an extra set of skills I can bring back and incorporate on the ranch. It’s a unique field that not a lot of people go into anymore, or trades in general,” he said.

As part of his enrollment in the program, Green said he’s looking to capitalize on a skill he’s been honing since age 12.

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“I do leatherwork, so I can add that to the upholstery work to make custom interiors for trucks,” he said.

He’s also hoping to take some business courses through WyoTech.

Though he’s leaning toward WyoTech, it’s also still a possibility that he might go to Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne.

“It’s still in the back of my mind and still and option, but I think I still need to make a choice,” he said.

Still, the aim of WyoTech — to rapidly prepare workers in a specific technical career — is what appeals to him.

“With how things are going, you’ll always be guaranteed a job there because everybody’s going to have vehicles they’re using,” Green said. “It’s an industry that will always be needed, and a lot of people are interested in that line of work. That was one of the reasons I didn’t want to go to a four-year school. I had it narrowed down to either agriculture or trades. I’m leaning more toward trades, but they both help each other out tremendously.”

Green has spent his childhood in 4-H — where he learned leatherwork — and the past four years in Future Farmers of America, both of which he credited with building his public speaking and leadership skills, holding the president, vice-president and sentinel offices the local FFA chapter.

Green said his time in FFA, as well as the years that preceded it, enhanced his love for where he grew up and what he plans to do.

“It’s given me an appreciation for work,” he said. “With agriculture, animals depend on you, so you’ve got to have dedication to them. It’s given me the ability to stay on task and get things done and not break my word along with giving me the drive to work.”

Earlier this month, he and his younger brother were part of the state meat judging team that picked up second place with the Green siblings each in the top 10 individually and winning $250 scholarships to Colorado State University.

Though he wasn’t planning on attending CSU, he still took the win as a point of pride.

“It’s something cool and unique and not many kids can say they were ranked second in the state for something,” Green said. “We grade four different beef carcasses based on quality, grade, marbling and back fat to end up with their yield grade. We’ve grown up in the ag industry, so we knew a little bit about meats, but it wasn’t until high school we started to get into the actual judging part of it. That’s kind of opened new doorways for us we hadn’t seen before because we’re not around the processing part of it and this was more of unique view into that aspect of the agriculture industry.”

FFA adviser Shelby Massey said Green and the rest of the FFA membership are students she expects to “make huge strides in the ag industry.”

“They are dedicated, hard-working, and passionate about not only their family businesses and traditions, but have a such a huge respect for agriculture,” she said. “They have been such great students and FFA members, and I can’t wait to continue to watch them succeed and find their places in the world. As an ag teacher and FFA advisor, letting go of great kids like these is always tough, but I know they will continue to make me proud.”