Each month the Center for Professional Personnel Development recognizes a student who shows outstanding involvement at Penn State, dedication to the Agricultural & Extension Education major, and leadership in organizations. For the month of December, we are proud to announce Dylan Clark as the Agricultural & Extension Education Student of the Month. Dylan is from Enon Valley, Pennsylvania where he grew up working on his families beef farm and attended Mohawk Jr.-Sr. High School. Dylan shares that he has been working in a butcher shop since he was 16. He explored his passions in agriculture through being involved in the Lawerance County 4-H Animal House Club for 11 years where Dylan showed his animals and was a member of Teen Council. In addition to his 4-H experiences, Dylan was actively a member of the Mohawk FFA where he attended National FFA Convention, exhibited at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, and assisted with the county event "Ag Encounter". Dylan said "this event was for all the 3rd graders in Lawrence county to get up close with agricultural practices that happens in our county.
Dylan also attended Penn State Beaver for 3 semesters before arriving at University Park campus. When asking Dylan why he chose Penn State he responded, "I wanted to be at a college that was deeply rooted in Agriculture." Penn State was a great fit for Dylan as he can pursue his interest in agriculture and teaching as he plans to graduate with a bachelors degree in Agricultural & Extension Education in Spring 2022. His favorite Penn State course so far was International Agriculture (INTAG) 100 with Dr. Noel Habashy. You can find Dylan is his favorite place on campus to hang-out in the ASI Lobby, or at his favorite place to eat in State College, Uncle Chen's Chinese. If you did not know this about Dylan, his favorite sports team is the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Dylan stays busy at Penn State working in the Meats Laboratory, he is also the Vice-President of LEAD Society, and is a member of Delta Theta Sigma.
Dylan has a unique passion for agriculture that has brought him success throughout his Penn State journey and as he continues to live out his goals he shares, "I want to be able to share my knowledge of agriculture with the next generation of agriculture leaders as well as continue to learn more about the agriculture industry myself. Being a part of 4-H and FFA was an amazing experience for me and made me who I am today, and I want to be able to continue to excite students about Agriculture for years to come." As you can tell, Dylan is determined to be a great Agriculture Educator and with this mindset and his experiences at Penn State he is preparing himself well.
One of Dylan's favorite quotes is by Kenny Chesney "I live to love and laugh a lot and that's all I need". Congratulations again Dylan on being recognized as the December Student of the Month, keep up the great work! To keep up with Dylan follow him on his social media (Instagram: @mr_showcow63 or Twitter: @mrshowcow).
The Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to congratulate the 2020 November Agricultural & Extension Education Student of the Month: Gabrielle Kriley! We recognize students each month who show outstanding involvement and growth as a student of the major. This month Gabrielle Kriley of Rural Valley, Pennsylvania, who is a junior majoring in Agricultural & Extension Education, and was chosen as she has excelled throughout her journey at Penn State.
Penn State was made for Gabrielle as she shares it was the best school to get a degree combining education and agriculture. "I was raised to be active in 4-H, which was strongly supported by Penn State. Through 4-H, I had many opportunities to see the campus and meet various staff and faculty members. I also had the amazing opportunity to attend the Pennsylvania School for Excellence in the Agricultural Sciences which is the program that provided the opportunity to experience college classes in person while also providing the opportunity to meet faculty, staff, the campus, all while making new friends who also have the goal of one day attending college. This made my love for Penn State grow to the point this was my dream school and I would do whatever it would take to get accepted into the university!" She has found her home at Penn State and is thankful for the opportunities she has been provided with.
The experiences she gained while at the New Kensington Campus should not go unnoticed as she has shared the positive impact it has made on her life. "I absolutely loved the beautiful campus! At that campus, I met my best friend, and my life has been flipped around for the better. If I were to tell you about my experiences at that campus, we could be here for days. I truly had an amazing experience at my commonwealth campus." While at New Kensington she was involved in THON, the Student Government Association, a work-study job in the Biology Department, and a research study. These opportunities have helped shaped her future of becoming an Agricultural Educator.
One day wanting to Teach Ag in the classroom Gabrielle shares her passion for agriculture. "My goal is to be a teacher that impacts my students in a positive manner, just like mine had done. I had so many amazing teachers and what better way to honor their impact than by becoming one? Not only will I become a normal teacher, teaching something that I like, but rather by teaching our future generation of agriculture, I will be teaching on a topic that I love! If we need food, clothes, or shelter, we will need agriculture! Once I reach retirement, I intend to move to another country to serve as a missionary, teaching about agriculture in foreign countries to help them where their agriculture may be struggling. If I have the knowledge, I will share it with the world!"
Gabrielle also shared some unique parts about herself that help to keep her motivated as a student and person. "I am a student who has been diagnosed with ADD and Dyslexia. Life can be very challenging when you have things that are a roadblock, but I have learned that anything can be a roadblock, but it takes a special amount of determination to make that roadblock into a pebble. My disabilities have not defined me within my personal or academic life and they never will!" As you can tell, this young lady does not let many things set her back from working to achieve her goals and aspirations.
Gabrielle has accomplished so much and we are proud of how far she has come and excited to see where life continues to take her after Penn State. As she plans to Teach Ag in the classroom, her experiences in 4-H, at Penn State and many others will serve her well. Best of luck on the rest of your journey year. To check out more about Gabrielle, follow her Instagram handle @gabrielle_mae128!
Growing up in Montrose, Illinois, Kendra attended Cumberland High School. Her love for Agricultural Education began on her family's farm where they raised show pigs, goats, chickens, and rabbits. She was active in 4-H through leadership positions at the local and county level, state committees, and a variety of projects. Additionally, she was active in FFA serving at the state, district, and local levels in leadership positions. Her SAEs were in Agricultural Communications and Swine Production as well as working for Grissom's Lost Creek Orchard.
Determined to further her education, Kendra decided to pursue her Master's at Penn State. She said, "No other program had such an individualized approach as Penn State. Here, I am able to pursue research areas I am interested in as well as work with other faculty in their areas of interest. Also, the mountains provide a very nice view". As a Graduate Student in Agricultural and Extension Education, Kendra is able to engage not only in research, but teaching experiences that will strengthen her presence in the classroom and relationships that will encourage her to pursue her passions. Additionally, she has opportunities for professional development. Recently, Kendra, along with Dr. Kevin Curry and Dr. Kathleen Sexsmith, have been recognized for their work on the paper, "Gender Stereotypes of Suits and Boots: Student Perceptions of Gender in School-Based Agricultural Education and Careers" and have received the NC-AAAE Distinguished Manuscript Award, filling Agricultural and Extension Education faculty and students with pride.
WE ARE excited to welcome such an intelligent and driven young Agricultural Educator into our Penn State Teach Ag! family. Kendra, congratulations on all of your accomplishments so far. We cannot wait to see what else you do on your journey here at Penn State and what you do for all of Agricultural Education in the future.
Taylor Halbleib
CPPD Student Worker
Agricultural and Extension Education
Class of 2022
The Agricultural & Extension Education Staff would like to congratulate the October Student of the month Nicole Guise of Spring Grove, Pennsylvania. Nicole shares, "My family has two dairy farms that total over 500 acres in York and Adams counties, Buttonwood Farms and Bentz-Hollow Farm. We do not milk cows anymore but instead focus on breeding genetically elite Holstein calves and heifers, we grow corn and soybeans, and have a custom baling and harvesting business." Outside of the family farm, Nicole has gained experiences with the York County 4-H Clubs (Dairy, Dairy Beef, and Teen Council). She was a part of the state winning 4-H Dairy Judging team and traveled to both the World Dairy Expo and NAILE to represent Pennsylvania. Her experiences in 4-H lead her to serving as a Delegate for National 4-H Congress and as a York County Dairy Princess.
Nicole spent her time attending and studying at the Penn State York Campus before joining us at University Park. While at York, Nicole was involved in the Penn State York AgSci Club, Graham Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Fellow, and she also won a Start-Up Challenge, similar to TV show Shark Tank, with a business plan for a customizable raised bed gardening service. Currently, Nicole is a senior graduating with a B.S. in Agricultural & Extension Education with minors in Environmental Resource Management and International Agriculture. Nicole is very involved in clubs and programs at Penn State including: Ag Advocates, Teach Ag Avengers, LEAD Society (Banquet Chair), Collegiate Farm Bureau (President), Dairy Science Club (Penn State Dairy Princess), and the Student Farm Club.
In addition to Nicole's involvement in clubs and student organizations, she is a teaching assistant for the Animal Science 201 course. Her hobbies include kayaking, baking and hiking with a unique goal in mind of going to every Pennsylvania and National Park before she dies. You can find Nicole in the Ag Administration Building in the Study Abroad Lounge as it is her favorite place on campus to hang out at. The restaurant Irvings is also her favorite place to eat in State College. As part of being an "Ag Avenger" Nicole has played a role in developing the Owl Pal Program at Penn State. "I created Owl Pals to connect AEE students regardless of their location (UP or Commonwealth Campus). From my own experience moving campuses, there were opportunities I wished I had known about/people I wish I had known were there to help me. It is my hope that Owl Pals helps Commonwealth Campus students feel more prepared to make the jump to UP, but also feel more connected to the students and faculty within the major."
Nicole has had some unique opportunities while being at Penn State including her trip to Chile. Since then, she shares her growing interest in hydroponics and that she wants to learn more in this area of agriculture as she continues her studies. As she is gearing up to start her student teaching experiences this Spring, Nicole will be student teaching at Derry Area High School with Mrs. Carly-Jean Rippole.
WE ARE excited to see where the future takes Nicole as she embarks on her journey teaching agriculture and much more! We know she will continue to succeed in the future in all that she does. Best of luck next semester Nicole, we are rooting for you!
To keep up with Nicole be sure to check out her social media profile on Twitter @nrguise.
Thomas' studies and position as an intern for Global Teach Ag were directly complimented by his summer experience. Highlighting the importance of experiences like these, Thomas says, "Both my coursework and internship emphasize the importance of technology in connecting educators and students to create impactful learning experiences". During his internship, he will be able to utilize his new knowledge of VoiceThread and Google Educator to engage over 450 educators during the Global Learning in Agriculture Conference and over 50 classrooms across the world with online global agriculture modules that he continuously curates for the GLAGjr program.
Congratulations Thomas on receiving the Student Engagement Remote Innovation Grant and utilizing this opportunity to engage in meaningful professional development experiences during these challenging times!
Taylor Halbleib
CPPD Student Worker
Agricultural and Extension Education
Class of 2022
Ms. Gagne comes to Pennsylvania Agricultural Education all the way from Bristol Connecticut! She has recently accepted a position at the Penn Manor High School in Millersville, Pennsylvania. Amanda will begin teaching a variety of classes including, ag businesses, introduction to animal science, introduction to ag mechanics, welding 1, and vet science 1&2 at this five-teacher program in January. Penn Manor is home to 367 active FFA members that Amanda is super excited to meet!
Amanda completed her student teaching internship at the Conrad Weiser Area School District in both the middle and high school. She taught both seventh and eighth-grade agricultural science, introduction in agricultural science, and current agricultural topics.
CPPD Student Worker
Agricultural & Extension Education
Class of 2023
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While student teaching, Miss. Barnhart gained experiences teaching freshman through seniors including Wildlife, Horticulture, Animal Science, Small Gas Engines and Wood Working. During this time is when she also learned a valuable lesson through her classroom experiences. She said "I learned through student teaching that every student comes with their own backstory, their own challenges and their own strengths. Use those strengths and their passions to make them excited to learn." She is very fond of her time spent at Brockway and is happy to have had them be her mentors.
Currently, Miss. Barnhart has started her first year teaching agriculture and being an FFA Advisor at Northern Lebanon High School. This is a two-teacher program with Mrs. Jennifer Balmer. Jess teaches Elements of Agriculture to 9thgrade students, Introduction to Agriculture to 7th grade students and Floriculture, Small Animal Science, and Aquaculture/Wildlife/Forestry. Being passionate about Wildlife, she is excited to have many classroom pets/animals which the school encourages the students to be hands-on with. Currently they have 2 ball pythons, a tarantula, aquarium, a cane toad, hissing cockroaches, a bearded dragon, leopard gecko, mice and rats. They are always expanding and hoping to bring in more soon!
A word of advice Miss. Barnhart wanted to share with other students is "What's meant to be will always find a way". "So don’t sweat the small stuff. You are going to go through many challenges but you are here for a reason. Take your passions and hold them tight throughout the ride because when you see your first classroom of eyes looking at you and your thinking “how could I possibly do this” you can. And you’re going to rock every second of it!"
We are so excited for your new position and are wishing you the best of luck this year and many more ahead! Congratulations again Miss. Barnhart, on being hired to teach at Northern Lebanon High School, you will accomplish many great things with your students.
Outside of the classroom, Ms. Pontius is actively involved in the Agricultural Education community. She serves as Region VI Vice President for the National Association of Agricultural Educators, facilitates the professional development of her fellow Educators, and is actively involved in the Pennsylvania Association for Agricultural Educators. At home, she and her husband run a 111 acre dairy and crop farm, contributing to Pennsylvania agriculture through both production and advocacy.
While truly humbled by her recognition as a 2020 Teach Ag Champion among other incredible professionals, Ms. Pontius's passion for her career and students attests to how deserving she is of this honor. She is not only a champion for her students and industry, but a champion for everyone in the Agricultural Education community. "The Penn State Teach Ag! Program is amazing. Pennsylvania teachers are so fortunate to have the support and guidance of the Penn State Team….they make us all champions!" While Ms. Pontius continually points out the champion in all of us, WE ARE certain that she is one of the most influential champions for Pennsylvania Agricultural Education. Congratulations to our 2020 Teach Ag Champion, Ms. Krista Pontius!
Taylor Halbleib
CPPD Student Worker
Agricultural and Extension Education
Class of 2022
