Cheyenne Bastian-Brown is February AEE Student of the Month

 February AEE Student of the Month

The Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to recognize Cheyenne for her academic and extracurricular achievements. Cheyenne is an Agricultural and Extension Education major with a minor in International Agriculture who will be graduating in May. She is from Ralston, Pennsylvania and graduated from Canton Jr-Sr High School in 2020. Cheyenne was involved in the Canton FFA Chapter during her time in high school. 

Cheyenne said that she chose Penn State because "Being a high school senior during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was unsure of what the next step was for me. I decided that higher education was my pathway, and I got accepted as a Political Sciences student. Obviously, I changed my mind during a year of service as a Pennsylvania State FFA
Officer when I decided that I could make a bigger impact in the classroom. I chose Penn State to pursue higher education, and to complete my degree because of the reputation and opportunities it provides to all students." During her time at Penn State her favorite class was RHS 226: Mental Health and College Students. She was involved in the FFA Alumni and Supporters @ Penn State, Beta Sisterhood, Dairy Science Club, Ag Student Council, University Park Undergraduate Association, Coaly Society, Ducks Unlimited, National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS)- Sigma Alpha Pi, Teach Ag! Avenger, Ag Advocate, Phi Eta

Sigma, Alpha Tau Alpha. She also held roles as a Global Teach Ag! Network Intern, Teaching Assistant for AG/CED 160, an Orientation Leader with Penn State Student Orientation and Transition Programs, and College of Agricultural Sciences Communication/Media Intern. Outside of Penn State Cheyenne has also been a NYAAE Teach Ag! Ambassador, NAAE Teach Ag! Ambassador, and Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation-Educational Intern.

Cheyenne enjoys watching the Steelers play football, hanging out in the basement of the Ferguson Building or in the VBSC Building, and going to Monte Carlos Pizza. Her hobbies include scrapbooking, music, and reading. One interesting thing about Cheyenne is that she has gotten to serve in multiple agricultural positions including Troy Fair Queen (2018), Pennsylvania FFA State Treasurer (2020), Lycoming County Dairy Princess (2022), Pennsylvania Honey Queen (2024), American Honey Queen (2025). In addition, she is a first-generation agriculturalist, so she has learned a lot about the industry through these various positions.  

Her agricultural interest and passion are for floriculture, dairy cattle, sheep, and honeybees since she graduated high school! She loves getting to teach a wide span of material so that students can navigate their interests as well! After graduating from Penn State in May, she will serve as the 2025 American Honey queen traveling the country advocating for honey and beekeeping. Post her year of service, she plans to find a position teaching agricultural education in the state of Pennsylvania. She would like to eventually navigate establishing agricultural education in K-6 curriculum within Pennsylvania. 

Currently, she is student teaching at Greenwood Middle-High School in Millerstown, Pennsylvania. She is teaching Plant and Soil Science, Basic Maintenance and Repair, Fish and Wildlife Science, Animal Bioscience, Food Science, Global Agriculture, Veterinary Science, and Agribusiness. When asked was experience she is most excited about while student teaching Cheyenne says "I am so excited to have the opportunity to cultivate relationships with the students in my classroom. I remember my agricultural experience and credit all of my achievements to my agricultural educator who pushed me to want to achieve in every opportunity possible. I hope to be able to have a long-lasting impact on the students I get to meet and instruct this semester!"

Cheyenne's favorite quote is: 

“A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame. A little less than his share of the credit.” – Arnold H. Glasow 

Follow Cheyenne on Social Media 

@cheyenne_bb20

• 
  

  
  

  
  

  Erica Teagarden

  CPPD Student Worker

  Agricultural and Extension Education
  

  Class of 2026
  
  

 

Kenzie Mowry is January AEE Student of the Month!

 January AEE Student of the Month

The Center for Professional Personnel Development is recognizing Kenzie Mowry for her dedication to academics and extra-curriculars during her time at Penn State. Kenzie is a member of the 2025 Agricultural and Extension Education cohort. She is from Mill Run, PA and is a graduate of Connellsville Area Senior High School. Although her high school did not have an FFA chapter, Kenzie was active in the New Horizons 4-H club. She exhibited lambs, goats, pigs, and steers at the Fayette County Fair. She was also a member of Teen County Council, 4-H Connects, and Birds & Bunnies 4-H Club.

Kenzie started her Penn State journey at Fayette-The Eberly Campus where she was the President of the Christian Club, a member of THON, and a member of the Outing and Adventure Club. At University Park she has been a Penn State Dairy Barns worker and also a member of Block and Bridle, Collegiate Cattle Women, and the Dairy Science Club. When asked why she chose Penn State, Kenzie says, "Originally, in 9th grade, I hated the idea of Penn State, the campus was too city for me. However, when it came down to deciding which school, I fell in love with Penn State and the opportunities that it held. Penn State allowed me to live close to home, but also when I did move away, I was able to find a new family living at the Dairy Barns." 

Kenzie really enjoyed taking Ag Mechanics with Dr. Ewing as the class allowed her to grow. She loves rooting for the Penn State Football team and eating at SNAP Pizza downtown. Her favorite place to hang out on campus is the third floor of ASI. Kenzie also enjoys hiking. She started her own herd of breeding sheep, to be able to sell to livestock exhibitors, which will allow her to pass on her showmanship skills in the process. One of the defining experiences that Kenzie notes during her college career are being able to live and work at the Penn State Dairy Barns. She has been able to grow her knowledge of the dairy industry while building friendship connections. 

Kenzie's agricultural interest and passion revolve around being able to educate students of all ages about the agriculture around them. She loves being able to discuss livestock in this world as well. For two years, she was able to work with Fayette County Penn State Extension as a Summer Assistant. Here she was able to find a passion for educating students about agriculture in different ways. Her future plans include obtaining a career in either Extension or as an Agricultural Teacher.

At the beginning of January, Kenzie began student teaching at Brockway Area Jr/Sr High School. She is teaching Ag Mechanics, Wildlife, Animal Science, Intro to Agriculture, Forestry, Soils, and Land Management. She is excited to be able to implement the lessons and experiences that she learned from the AEE classes. Kenzie is most excited to be able to interact with the students every day and to see the moments where they finally connect the lessons they are learning to agriculture and get it. 

Kenzie's favorite quote is: 

"Be willing to be uncomfortable. BE comfortable being uncomfortable. It may get tough, but it's a small price to pay for living the dream." - Peter McWilliams

Follow Kenzie on Social Media 

@kenzie2663

Erica Teagarden

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2026

Marissa McPeak-Kennedy is December AEE Student of the Month!

 December AEE Student of the Month

The Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to recognize Marissa McPeak-Kennedy as the December Agricultural and Extension Education Student of the Month. During her time at Penn State in the AEE major, Marissa has shown outstanding efforts in and out of her academics. She is majoring in Agricultural and Extension Education with a minor in International Agriculture and graduates in May of 2025. Marissa is from Baden, Pennsylvania and attended Ambridge Area High School. 

When asked why she chose Penn State Marissa says, "I chose Penn State because when I was in eighth grade, my school took us on a field trip to the Penn State Beaver campus, and I fell in love that day. I knew form that point on, I was going to be a Penn State whether that be at a branch campus or at main campus." Her favorite class so far has been ENT 222N which is Honeybees and Humans she says, "This class not only taught me about a topic I previously had no knowledge on, but also gave opportunities for hands on learning and field trips." On campus she has been involved in the Dairy Science Club, Alpha Tau Alpha, a work study Secretary for the Animal Science Department, and a Teach Ag! Avenger. Marissa loves to hand out in the HUB for a lively environment and the library for a more quiet one.

 

During her time at Penn State, Marissa has had many defining experiences. First she notes that in her freshman year she switch from Animal Science to Agricultural and Extension Education. She also was a part of the Global Orientation to Agriculture Learning program where she got to learn about global agriculture and then teach for a week at a school in Kentucky. Marissa has also enjoyed attending the PAAE and NAAE teacher conferences to gain knowledge and resources from current agriculture teachers.

One interesting thing about Marissa is that she has worked at the Pittsburgh Zoo for seven years. Her hobbies include playing with her dogs and geckos, listening to music, watching animal documentaries, and painting. She loves to eat at SNAP Pizza and her favorite sports teams are the Pittsburg Penguins and the Penn State Nittany Lions. 

Beginning in January, Marissa will be student teaching at Twin Valley High School with Mrs. Nicole Weaver. She will teach Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR), Plant Science, and Agriculture Leadership/Global Agriculture. She is most excited to work wither her cooperating teacher to use some creative ways to teach the classes. Her cooperating teacher is the ag teacher and drama teacher so she is excited to see how the two overlap. 

Marissa's future plans are to go into the classroom and teach agriculture. Ideally, she would like to get a job in or create an elementary agriculture program. Her agriculture interest and passion are focused on global agriculture and natural resources.

Marissa's favorite quote is: 

"Success is not a miracle. nor is it a matter of luck. Everything happens for a reason, good or bad, positive or negative."

Follow Marissa on Social Media 

@marissamkennedy

Erica Teagarden

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2026

Gage McCabe is November AEE Student of the Month!

 November AEE Student of the Month

The Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to recognize Gage McCabe as the November Student of the Month for his outstanding efforts. Gage is majoring in Agricultural and Extension Education and will graduate in May of 2025. He is from Manheim Central, Pennsylvania and attended Manheim Central High School. Gage was involved in the Manheim FFA Chapter and was heavily involved in Career Development Events. He specifically enjoyed the Natural Resources and Environment event and was top 10 individually every year he competed. In his Junior year his team won states and went to compete at the national level where they placed in the top 20.

During his time at Penn State, he has enjoyed RPTM 326 - Natural History Interpretation with Doug Wren. Gage chose Penn State because, "of the highly regarding agriculture program. I also grew up as a Penn State sports fan, I visited the campus regularly as a child growing up and I always wanted to be a student here." His favorite hang out place on campus is either room 007 in the Ferguson Building or the Arboretum, specifically in the bird house structure in the morning. Gage had the opportunity to partake in the SEED Semester at Shaver's Creek in the Spring of 2023 He said, "In this semester I gained valuable leadership building skills, along with lots of experience teaching in a classroom setting along with the outdoors setting. While in this semester, we take a 16 day trip to the Northeaster stats where we partake in many team building activities while also visiting environmental centers, recreational centers, and other education centers to gain exceptional experiences and knowledge from the career field that involve both education and recreation. I was able to build my knowledge of the environmental world with my time at Shaver's Creak and it will always hold a special place in my heart."

In January, Gage will begin student teaching at Otto-Eldred with Mr. Brandon Witmer. He will be teaching Ag Mechanics including welding, small gas, and electrical systems, Ag Science, including animals science, small animal science, food safety, and plant science, and Ag Business. He is most excited to be a part of the planning for the PAAE summer session as it will be hosted by Otto-Eldred in the summer of 2025.

Gage's future plans include to teach agriculture and life skills to the next generation of leaders in a high school classroom. He has a passion for Agriculture Mechanics and could teach almost any subject with no preparation but says, "my heart truly lies with Environmental sciences."

Gage's favorite quote is: 

"The name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the name on the back."

 - Herb Brooks

Follow Gage on Social Media 

@mr.mccabepsu

Erica Teagarden

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2026

Jeremy Rose is AEE October Student of the Month!!!

October AEE Student of the Month

The Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to recognize Jeremy Rose as the Agricultural and Extension Education Student of the Month for October. Jeremy is currently a Junior majoring in Agricultural and Extension Education as well as minoring in International Agriculture. Jeremy intends to graduate from Penn State in May of 2026. Jeremy is from Indiana; Pennsylvania and he graduated from Penns Manor Area Jr/SR High School. Throughout Jeremy's time in high school, he was involved in 4-H and FFA. He was a part of the All my Friends 4-h club where he worked closely with his mother his last 3 years of his time in 4-h. She was the Organizational leader, and he was the president. Jeremy said " 4-h was my starting point for growing as a leader in Agriculture, and I was fortunate to have my mother, Nadine, greatly influence that experience!" Jeremy was also a member of the Penns Manor FFA chapter from the years of 2018-2021. His Agricultural teacher Mr. Jerry Hughes dedicated an immense amount of time to ensure that Jeremy and his classmates could learn and grow, both before, during, and after school. His dedication allowed Jeremy to forge lifelong friendships and build a network across Pennsylvania. Jeremy also said he " had the honor of becoming a State Officer for the Pennsylvania FFA, which was another pivotal experience in my development. As I look back, I can confidently say that my journey was significantly enriched by my time at Penns Manor and my year of service with the Pennsylvania FFA." 

When asked why he chose to attend Penn State here is what Jeremy had to say, " During my senior year of high school, I considered multiple large agricultural colleges to further my education. Reflecting on my high school career in 4-H and the FFA, I had long and extensive conversations with my agriculture teacher, one of my greatest mentors. Through these discussions, I determined that the Agricultural and Extension Education Program, as well as the Animal Sciences
Department, offered opportunities that aligned with my best interests. Of course, it's also easy to say that the creamery ice cream and coffee were a bonus. " Jeremy attended PSU DuBois for his first year of college then he transferred to main campus. Jeremy's favorite Penn State classes so far has been Animal Science 324 which is a livestock judging class and AEE 204N a Science Literacy class. Jeremy's future plans are to be an Agriculture teacher and work his way up to administration as a Career and Technical Education Director. He said "Aside from my hopes and

aspirations as a teacher, I have a strong interest in evaluating livestock. If I were to choose a different career path in agriculture, I would likely become a livestock buyer and hauler for one of the many cattle companies across the United States. However, my primary passion lies in agricultural education. I aim to teach Animal Sciences, Ag Sciences, Plant Sciences, and other agricultural topics at a high and efficient level." Jeremy is a part of the Teach Ag Avenger, PSU FFA Alumni, IM Basketball, and the Livestock judging team on campus. His Favorite hangout on Campus is Ag Science and Industries building and his favorite place to eat is Sauly Boys.  

Jeremy had the opportunity to be a part of the GOALs program He said " In the fall of 2023, I was fortunate to participate in the Goals Program (Global Orientation of Agricultural Learning), which provided numerous incredible opportunities. Working with many professors was an honor, but it was particularly inspiring to learn from Graduate Student Mrs. Mia Sullivan. Throughout the course, I had many remarkable experiences. The program offered three total immersion experiences. First, we traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, for the World Food Prize. For my teaching experience, I was privileged to head south to Miami Dade, Florida, where I spent a week with Mr. Wayne Worthley in Miami Dade County, teaching students about International Agriculture and Sustainable Development Goals. Our final immersion experience took us to Belize, as previously mentioned. Overall, the Goals Program illuminated a new perspective on Agricultural Education for my classmates and me." Some of Jeremy's hobbies include Trapshooting and golfing at a below average level. One interesting fact about Jeremy is he averages a haircut about once every 10 business days.  

 Jeremy’s favorite quote is: 

“Some people want it to happen, some people wish it would happen, others make it happen”.   

Follow Jeremy on Instagram at @jeremy_yo_rose 

 

Cameron Goodyear 

CPPD Student Worker 

Agricultural and Extension Education  

Class of 2026