2012 Annual AEE Banquet

This past week, the students of Alpha Tau Alpha, Collegiate FFA, and Collegiate 4-H put together the Annual Agricultural and Extension Education Banquet. This year's theme was "Celebrating Our Blue Ribbon Students". The event was held at Mt. Nittany Middle School and rumor has it that the food was really good! The keynote speaker was Dr. Larry Schardt, Natural Resourse Conservationalist with the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences here at Penn State. His speech focused on being happy with yourself and life. He emphasized that it is important to let others know that you care about them. He was a wonderful, infectious speaker who inspired everyone in attendance reach for their goals. Afterwards, several of our students in the department received awards for their accomplishments throughout the year. The following is a list of this year's winners:

CFFA:

Bronze Advisors Pin
Brittany Arnold

Kristie Folk

Phillip Hassener

Emily Kuhn

Douglas Masser

Cameron Schirmer
Danielle Smith

Chelsea Walker

Outstanding Freshman: Kaitlyn Rimol

Outstanding Sophomore: Caleb Wright

Outstanding Junior: Amanda Dobbs

Outstanding Senior: Doug Masser

Workhorse Award: PJ Adam

C-4H Awards:

4-H Outstanding New Member: Brenna Robinson

4-H Outstanding Member: Jeanette Blank 

New Alpha Tau Alpha Initiates

PJ Adam

Jamie Aukamp

Laura Davis

Kaydee Gearhart

Mackenzie McCollum

Adam Peachey

Heather Pray

Meagan Slates

Ashley Tressler

Josh Walker

Alyshia West

Cortney Wright

The Final Week....

This week, thirteen 2012 Penn State Agricultural Education Student Teachers return from their fifteen week internship in secondary schools across Pennsylvania for their final 2-weeks of their Penn State Ag Teacher Education experience. Below is a profile of this group.

The 2012 student teaching cohort:

•  Taught 74 different classes to students from 8^th to 12^th grade from 42 minute periods to 90 minute “block” periods.
•  Delivered 161 units of instruction on topics from leadership development, agricultural mechanics, environmental sciences, plant sciences, animal sciences and much more!
• Impacted the lives of  1,213 individual students
• Has 3 Masters/post-baccalaureate members
• Has  1 Schreyer’s Honor Scholar
•  4 minor/areas of emphasis obtained: Agribusiness Management; Horticulture;  International Agriculture ; and Recreation, Parks & Tourism Management (Shaver Creek Block Semester)
•  Has studied abroad in 7 countries, including: Ecuador, France, Germany, Honduras, Ireland, Korea, Tanzania
•  3  students have also earned a Bachelors of Science in Animal Science
•  Will have members who are Pennsylvania Certified (with reciprocity in more than 40 states ) in the following 5 areas: Agriscience K-12; Biology; Environmental Science; General Science; English as a Second Language (ESL)
•  Has earned 13 different Additional Certifications/Accreditations/Licensures, including:
• Accredited Parliamentarians from the Society of Agricultural Education Parliamentarians (6); First Aid/CPR/AED Certification (13); Keystone Aquatics Resource (Project Aquatics)(3; National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Instructors (13); NAUI Certified Scuba Diver (1); Occupational, Safety and Health Administration Certificate (1); Pennsylvania Song Birds curriculum (3); Pennsylvania Forensics curriculum (1); Pennsylvania Amphibians and Reptiles curriculum (1); Project Food, Land & People curriculum (2); Project Learning Tree (2); Project WILD curriculum(3); Teaching with Technology at Penn State (1)
• Members of the 16 professional organizations, including:
• Alpha Tau Alpha, National Agricultural Education Honorary; Alpha Zeta, Penn State; American Dairy Science Association; Association of Career & Technical Education (All 13 candidates); Collegiate FFA, Penn State; Dairy Science Club, Penn State; EARTH House, Penn State; Gamma Sigma Delta; Graduate Student Association, Ag & Ext Education, Penn State; Holstein Association, USA; National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) (All 13 candidates); National Science Teachers Association (1); Pennsylvania Farm Bureau; Pennsylvania Holstein Association; Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators (PAEE) ; Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators (PAAE) (All 13 candidates);
•  Has previously gained experience or been employed with  22 different relevant jobs/Internships including:
• Ag Choice Credit, Marketing Intern; Cove-View Family Dairy Farm; Folk’s Butter Fly Farm ,Educational Instructor; Home Depot, Plant Merchandiser; Lazy E Ranch, Guthrie, Oklahoma, Intern; Martin’s Flowers and Shrubs, Belle Vernon, PA; Masser’s Produce; Milking Technician; New Bolton Center (University of Penn’s Large Animal Hospital); Penn State Outreach, Orion Instructor; Penn State Department of Dairy and Animal Science, Research Assistant; Penn State University Police; Penn State Turfgrass Research Center Mechanic/Research Assistant; Pennsylvania Department of Education, PASA Scorer May 18-20 in Harrisburg (PSSA's for students with very strong  disabilities); Pennsylvania FFA, Pennsylvania State FFA Officer; Pennsylvania Department of Transportation; Roving Nature Center Teacher Naturalist; Run N’ Jump Farm, Bellefonte, PA; Science Summer Camp Coordinator; Shaver’s Creek Outdoor School Counselor and Learning Group Leader; Tractor Supply Company, Manager; Penn State Department of Ag & Ext. Education, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Where are they now? Status of the 2012 Cohort

Last Updated on April 27, 2015

Brittany Arnold - Agriscience Teacher, Frederick HS, Maryland

Robyn Bechtel - Agriscience Teacher, Williamsport HS, Pennsylvania

Danielle Breese - Chevron

Mackenzie Crooks - Agriscience Teacher, Lebanon HS, Indiana

Jessica Wrey (DiMarzio) - Agriscience Teacher, Cumberland Valley HS, Pennsylvania

Kristie Good (Folk) - Agriscience Teacher, United HS, Pennsylvania

Katelynn Harshman - Banking Industry

Phil Haussener, Agriscience Teacher, Ceder Crest HS, Pennsylvania

Emily Arnold (Kuhn), Agriscience Teacher, Eastern York HS, Pennsylvania

Doug Masser, Agriscience Teacher, Pequea Valley, Pennsylvania

Cameron Schirmer, Agriscience Teacher, Mohawk HS, Pennsylvania

Danielle Smith, Teller, PNC Bank, Pennsylvania

Chelsea Walker, Americorp Volunteer, Armstrong Conservation District

2012 PSU-OSU Teach Ag Adventure

Written by: Mackenzie McCollum, Class of 2013

Students exploring the greenhouses at W.B. Saul High School.

It is hard to narrow down my favorite experience but one of my favorite parts of the trip was visiting and comparing the different schools.  We first visited Milton Hershey. It was incredible to see the facilities and opportunities with which they provided their students. Our tour guide informed us that students could enter with only the clothes on their back and the school would clothe, feed, and provide them medical care. In addition, each student lives in a private home with "house parents." We learned that upon graduation, each student was given $500 to purchase anything they wanted to include in their "senior bag," as well as a laptop and an $80,000 scholarship if good grades were maintained. 

Next we visited the agricultural program at Conrad Weiser. This program focused heavily on science-based curriculum which was evident upon viewing their laboratory, greenhouse, library, and biotechnology facility. The program also had a vineyard and barn. The program exemplified the importance of science within the agricultural industry. Mr. Serfass encourages his students to read and pursue experiments that intrigue them. 

Finally, we visited W.B. Saul, an inner city agricultural high school. This program was amazing because they had their own meats lab, multiple barns, riding arena, and classrooms devoted to each facet of agricultural education. We were fortunate enough to teach a lesson encompassing the importance of higher education. It was awesome to interact with students attending a strictly agricultural high school in the middle of a large city!