Unbridled Talent: Carly Ferguson
Gwen Akers
The Ashland Beacon
Carly Ferguson has been showing horses since she was a little girl and has loved them for even longer. No matter what it is, whether in the saddle or in the classroom, Carly Ferguson has excelled and is ready to embrace the next chapter of her life.
As part of the 2024 graduating class from Holy Family, Ferguson has been jumping hurdles and showing her aptitude for success from a very young age. After a chance riding lesson, Ferguson knew that her future lay with horses and helping animals in all the ways she could.
“When I was seven, I took one little riding lesson on horses, and I have loved it ever since,” explained Ferguson. “I just fell in love with the medicine side of animals, and I have stuck with it ever since.”
Not only is she a leader in the sense of her undefeated showing record this year with Saddlebred horses, but she is also a part of various honor societies both through Holy Family and Ashland Community and Technical College. Combining her love of animals with her passion for creating smiles, Ferguson has most enjoyed her time as vice president of the Holy Family National Honor Society.
“We try to plan activities to get the community involved and to try and kind of listen to the students,” expressed Ferguson. Ferguson has always seen it as a priority to communicate with other students and understand how to make school both enjoyable and enriching for everyone. She planned events not only for students but to engage faculty and staff.
While planning for the Spring Fling event, Ferguson made it a priority to include food trucks, music and outdoor games perfect for students looking to take a break from their studies and a space for faculty and their families to have fun as well. Ferguson hopes to continue this process of creating community and a space for both enjoyment and communication in her future as a Pre-Veterinary Science student at Morehead State University.
Ferguson has been inspired throughout her life by her educators and teachers at Holy Family, with one teacher showing her that it is important to find these broad ideas and goals, but not to get hung-up on the details.
“She kind of helped me see the bigger side of things and think outside the box rather than just focusing on small stuff and not worry so much,” detailed Ferguson about her teacher Jade Redden.
Redden also could not be more proud of Ferguson and the strides she is making toward her dreams. Redden commented, “Carly is one of the most hardworking and dedicated kids I've ever known. She has a great gut, just great instinct.”
Redden continued by offering Carly advice, “I would tell her to never second guess herself, to only go with what her heart is telling her to do because she has a good head on her shoulders and a strong compass that guides her.”
As Ferguson moves into her freshman year at Morehead State, she is already looking to attend Veterinary school at Auburn University–keeping her eyes on the horizon and seeking to challenge herself to grow along the way.
“I would say about graduating that it is probably one of the biggest times in somebody's life–as you are closing the chapter and starting your future and moving into your final career,” expressed Ferguson.
Overall, Ferguson is ready to ride into her bright future, ready to jump that final hurdle of graduating and gallop into her bright future.
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