#psuaged15 member, Amanda Forstater (@cityaggie) explores Trinidad!

Amanda Forstater, a graduate student in Agriculture and Extension Education and International Agriculture and Development, spent her spring break in the Caribbean visiting Trinidad & Tobago off the coast of Venezuela. Amanda (@CityAggie), a 2015 student teacher, went on this trip with the

Penn State INTAD 820 course.

Amanda Forstater in Trinidad and Tobago 

While in Trinidad & Tobago, Amanda expanded her professional network, learned about Caribbean agriculture and experienced many once in a life time opportunities. With a trip focused on agriculture, Amanda toured local farmers’ markets where she talked with farmers and sellers and even bought local products. She toured farms and met with farmers, visited the beaches and even a farm in the tropical rain forests.

She expanded her professional networking by meeting with faculty and graduate students from the two main universities there - University of the West Indies (UWI) and the University of Trinidad & Tobago (UTT). While there she had the chance to discuss her research at PSU, their research and the hypothetical grant proposals her class is writing as a class project. She also met with one of their regional extension offices, a representative of their Agricultural Society, and a representative of the Coffee and Cacao Industry. She stated “I got to explore the city and learn about their culture and how the history of the country has shaped what it has become today. I also enjoyed all the wonderful scenery and food that was available there.”

Amanda’s greatest take away was realizing how important agriculture is on a daily basis and that we are all globally connected in many ways. With a future in Agriculture Education, Amanda will be able to use this experience to become a future educator to her students. She will be able to help them to understand different people and areas culturally and understand how we are all connected agriculturally. She said “this experience was beneficial to me personally in so many ways, not only in learning about the culture and the agriculture, but also in getting to better know my professors and fellow graduate students and preparing for my future.”

One of the papaya farms Amanda visited on her trip to Trinidad and Tobago over Spring Break!

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog!

Laura Metrick

Student Blogger

2015 Student Teacher

@Its_LauraBeth