My name is Merica Xiong. I grew up on a small poultry farm which cultivated my love for agriculture. It lead me to start my career with NRCS as an intern in 2009 and convert to a full-time Soil Conservationist in 2012 after completing my Bachelor’s degree from Langston University. I have worked in many different offices across the state of Oklahoma and served on the Oklahoma Civil Rights Committee as the Asian American/Pacific Islander Special Emphasis Program Manager from 2015-2020. In taking on new roles, I hope to learn new skills that will help advance me in my career that I love. I currently work as the Soil Conservationist in Jay, Oklahoma and enjoy interacting with the large Asian community within my area. In my free time, I love spending time with family, traveling, reading plenty of books and couponing.