Ohio FFA Member Turns Passion for Alpacas Into Impact
Kendall Wild of the Bloom-Carroll FFA Chapter in Ohio has heard “no” more times than most teenagers. Born with ADHD, autism, anxiety, low muscle tone and vision challenges that required three eye surgeries, Wild has often been told what she couldn’t do.
Instead of taking “no” for an answer, she’s focusing on what she can do through her passion for alpacas. When the alpaca she leased was retired in 2021, Wild chose Lacee, a blue-eyed, deaf and blind white alpaca as her partner. Experts told Wild that Lacee was “worthless” and unable to be shown.
“I had gotten so many comments like, ‘How can you show an animal that has disabilities?’” Wild says. “Since I have disabilities, I know what it’s like to be different than a lot of your peers, and I could understand what Lacee was going through.”
Wild developed a touch-cue system, lifting and positioning the lead to signal changes in pace and direction. Before a class, she explains to judges how she and Lacee work together.
For six years, the pair won zero ribbons or trophies. Then, in 2024, Wild earned Showman of Showman at her county fair and Reserve Champion Performance at the Ohio State Fair. In 2025, Lacee’s fleece earned a second-place ribbon and they won Reserve Alpaca in halter performance. She was also named the 2025 Fairfield County Alpaca Ambassador.
“It was a really big milestone,” Wild says. “It was hard for me to do some of these things, and to see [Lacee] do the obstacles was really amazing.”
Beyond the Show Ring
Wild’s love of alpacas extends beyond the show ring into research, outreach and advocacy. She has three Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs), two of which are focused on alpacas.
One SAE examines micron levels in alpaca fleece to predict physiological indicators. This project earned her third place nationally at the 2024 National FFA Convention & Expo.
Her second alpaca SAE focuses on farm work, education and entrepreneurship, including the sale of “Paca Paper.”
Wild also authored Lacee Finds a Friend, a children’s book designed to be fully accessible, featuring braille text, hand-drawn illustrations by her grandfather and a 3D-printed alpaca model that can be purchased with the book. The first copy of her book was auctioned off for $2,200 with the funds given to alpaca nutrition and health research.
“If you love a certain animal or something agricultural-related, don’t let anything stop you,” she says. “If something is hard, just keep going and follow your dreams.”
