Ellexxah Maxwell running for AQHYA Officer/Director position
Ellexxah Maxwell running for a 2017-2018 AQHYA Officer/Director position interviewed by Tori Kendle
1. Where do you live and with whom?
I live in West Mansfield, Ohio with my parents, Brent and Melissa, and my grandma, Rebecca.
2. How do you want to be seen by your peers?
I want to be seen as someone who is hardworking and not swayed by other people’s opinions. I
speak my own mind, stand up for what I believe in, and I do the right thing no matter what other
people think of me.
3. What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses (personal and horse related)? Why?
My biggest strength is having so much experience in the horse industry because I’ve been in it
for so long. My biggest weakness is the same- I never do anything outside of horses. I don’t go
to school or hang out with non horse people , so I can never have an outsider's point of view.
4. How do you contribute to your community?
Due to all of my showing and my traveling life style, I am not home a lot so I work with many
different horse organizations doing various community service projects to help others in many
different communities, instead of just one.
5. Besides family, who do you admire the most and why?
I admire Abraham Lincoln because of his honesty- not only to himself, but also to others.
6. What goals are you working towards in the equine industry, through academics, and
outside of equine?
In the equine industry, I would love to get my horse to beat the all time horse point record for
AQHYA. Academically, I would like to go to college for business management, so I can
ultimately become a horse trainer. Outside of that, I would like to find a way to give as many
horses homes as possible. I have a big heart and feel bad for all of the horses being sent to
places like slaughterhouses.
7. Why do you want to become an AQHYA Officer/Director?
I want to become an AQHYA Officer/Director because when I was growing up in AQHYA I was
nervous to speak my mind and I just followed the crowd. However, watching some past
members step up to the plate made me realize that I can do the same. I would love to be able to
inspire younger members in the same way that others have inspired me, and encourage them to
be themselves and not be afraid to do what they love. It’s important to take chances because
you never know what day’s going to be your last and you don’t want to have any regrets.
8. What motivates you to be a leader?
I get motivated to be a leader because I don’t like to feel lost when I’m trying to make a decision,
so I would like to help other people who feel the same way. I think it’s important to take in every
side of a situation and to be open minded. You never know if your opinion is the best, or if
someone else has a more beneficial idea.
9. Describe a typical day outside of showing.
I am normally in the barn at my parents farm helping with the horses, and on a rare occasion I
go shopping. Normally for horse stuff, of course.
10. What is the biggest lesson you have learned through horses and leadership roles in
OQHYA and/or AQHYA?
The most important thing that I’ve learned is that it’s important to not judge people by their
covers. You need to get to know people for yourself, because you never know if people will be
completely different from how they seem.
