 |
| Sam Loy and the Nittany Lion shrine. |
Sam comes from rural Perry County, where he grew up on the family farm where they raised chickens and vegetables. Although he wasn't heavily involved in agriculture, he said "I grew up in an Agriculturally friendly environment", as he told of a family history saturated with prominent agriculturalists, including the founder of Loysville, PA, a St. Louis Cardinals player that build barns all across Perry County, and one of the lawyers and Pennsylvania representatives that drafted the bill to create Little Buffalo State Park, situated along the Susquehanna River. He decided to join the Greenwood FFA Chapter, led by Ms. Krista Pontius (@KristaPontius) and Mr. Michael Clark, in the 7th grade, where from there he became heavily involved in the organization, serving as the chapter parliamentarian, chapter president, and receiving his Keystone Degree, the highest degree awarded by the Pennsylvania FFA Association. He participated in several Career Development Events and Leadership Development Events, including food science, plant science, and his favorite, parliamentary procedure.
 |
| Sam with his Keystone Degree. |
Sam's decision to come to Penn State came after he found how much he loved FFA, and he says he has a passion for teaching. We asked Sam if he has any advice for those thinking about going for a degree in Agriculture and Extension Education, and he says, "It’s a sure fire way to get a job doing something that directly impacts any kid in your classroom." He feels that Agricultural Education is important because, "it harnesses student’s passions for agriculture and pairs it with things like networking, job skills, and public speaking and creates a generation of agriculturalists that have the tools to help better the world."
We wish Sam the best of luck as he starts off his time at Penn State working towards a degree in Agriculture and Extension Education, and we look forward to seeing what he brings to the #psuaged21 team in the coming years!
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.
Hunter Kauffman, Student Blogger
Wildlife and Fisheries Science
The Pennsylvania State University
Email: hlk5120@psu.edu
Instagram: kauffman_hunter
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for Commenting!
We will moderate and approve as appropriate!