Penn State Alum Returns to Pennsylvania

Jeanne Case returns to Pennsylvania to continue her journey as an Agricultural Educator! She is a #psuaged14 alum, and was employed in Walworth, Wisconsin (home of Kikkoman Soy Sauce) at Big Foot Union High School. Jeanne is currently teaching at Cumberland Valley High School in Cumberland County!

Jeanne applied for the position at Cumberland Valley because she has a strong interest in Agriscience and felt that the school would be able to support her curriculum. She also wanted to teach in a program that had two teachers, in an urban area, and closer to her family. At Cumberland Valley, Jeanne aspires to grow personally and professionally in the world of Agricultural Education. She states, "It is hard for teachers to find that work-life balance, but I really enjoy teaching. I will always be striving to find that balance to have longevity in the profession." 

Cumberland Valley encourages students from all different backgrounds and ethnicities to join FFA, and to know that they all have a place in Agriculture Education. Jeanne's goal is to continue this trend as she begins teaching at CV. She will succeed in this goal because she enjoys meeting new students and forming connections with them. "There is a place for everyone in agricultural science, you just have to take the time to get to know people and understand their strengths," exclaimed Jeanne. 

Her advice to those interested in Agriculture Education as a career is to talk to everyone and push yourself out of your comfort zone. "No one is an expert their first year (or fifth!). The necessary part is to keep pushing yourself and try to improve and be open to new ideas but not to work yourself into the ground and beat yourself up – you will burn yourself out."

We are excited that you are back in Pennsylvania, and cannot wait to see the positive impact you make on the lives of your students!

Luke Kerstetter

Communications Team Member

Twitter Handle: @Luke_Kerstetter

2020 Agriculture Education Student Teacher

#psuaged14 Alum Receives National Award!

Congratulations Quinn Cashell-Martin! A Penn State Agriculture and Extension Education alum (#psuaged14) has received a National Teacher Turn the Key Award from the National Association of Agriculture Educators (NAAE). She will be recognized at the NAAE Convention in San Antonio, TX in November.

Quinn is currently teaching at Boonsboro High School in Boonsboro, Maryland. She attended Chambersburg High School with Jon Seaman #psuaged07 as her agriscience teacher. When she was a Penn State student she completed her student teaching experience at Athens High School with David Steinfelt #psuaged02 as her cooperating teacher. 

Quinn is humbled to receive the chance to attend the Teacher Turn the Key program. She states, "We are constantly encouraging our students to be actively involved in their organization (our FFA Chapter), and we should expect nothing less from ourselves." Everyone should continue to set goals for themselves, and she has been working towards this goal since her first year teaching. "My mission has always been to commit myself to a lifetime of learning. I believe this program is going to help me find new and invigorating ways to make sure that continues to happen." She is excited to bring back what she learns from this experience to her classroom in Maryland, and begin creating a new set of goals for herself and her program.

Her favorite experience as an Agriculture Educator so far was taking her students to National FFA Convention. The school she began teaching at was built five year before she became the agriscience teacher there. Through the building stages of the agriculture education program she had to overcome the challenge of getting students to understand what was available to them in the blue corduroy jacket. Once a group of students had gone to National FFA Convention for the first time it finally clicked. "It was after that experience that more students began to fully “buy in” to the experience and work hard to make a name for their newly established FFA Chapter. That easily made all the late nights worth it!"

Her advice to those who are in the Agriculture Education program is to find an organizational system that works for you as soon as you can. "The life of an agriculture educator is undoubtedly overwhelming at times. However, if you find a good way to organize the chaos, it is far less overwhelming. Never be afraid to ask for help. However, the hardest part of the first year in your own classroom is realizing that you don’t always know what questions you need answers to until you are up against a fast approaching deadline. If you establish a great working relationship with the staff in your building (secretaries, custodians, teachers, and administration) they often are understanding of the learning process you are going through, and are willing to work with you if you find yourself in a tight spot."

We are proud of all the accomplishments you have made as an Agriculture Educator, and we would like to congratulate you once more on your National Teacher Turn the Key Award! We are excited to see how you will advance throughout the rest of your career!

Luke Kerstetter

Communications Team Member

Twitter Handle: @Luke_Kerstetter

2020 Agriculture Education Student Teacher

Meagan Slates Receives National Award

Congratulations Meagan Slates! A Penn State Agriculture and Extension Education alum (#psuaged14) has received an Outstanding Early Career Educator Award from the National Association of Agriculture Educators (NAAE). She will be recognized at the NAAE Convention in San Antonio, TX in November.

Ms. Meagan Slates is currently teaching at Penn Manor High School in Millersville, PA. Meagan had completed her student teaching internship at West Perry High School with Ayla Miller #psuaged10 and John Hines #psuaged04. She attended Fort Cherry H.S. with Ms. Jodie Hoover #psuaged95 as her Agriscience Teacher.

Meagan is encouraging her to continue to be the best educator she can be for her students. She is always looking for new ways to advance her curriculum, getting students involved, and help them better themselves to be productive and successful members of society. "The best part about being selected for this award is the opportunity to attend NAAE conference network with other agriculture educators from across the US and attend workshops from both NAAE and ACTE where I can continue to grow and learn." Meagan enjoys watching her students find their passions, develop their stories, and achieve their goals. She teaches mostly freshman so she is just now seeing her first group of freshman graduate, and enter the workforce or go into a post secondary education. "Some students have come back to tell me about their experiences or have shared them with me on my professional social media platforms so it’s amazing to see where they are and what they are doing."

Her experiences as a teacher have provided her opportunities to grow and learn. She is thankful for the community of teachers she is friends with that she can collaborate and brainstorm with. Meagan's advice is, "New teachers should stretch themselves to try new things but don’t give up if it doesn’t go as planned, readjust and try again tomorrow or next time. It DOES get easier!"

Congratulations Meagan on your accomplishments and your award! We are proud of the positive impact you have made so far, and we are excited to see the impact you make throughout the rest of your career!

Luke Kerstetter

Communications Team Member

Twitter Handle: @Luke_Kerstetter

2020 Agriculture Education Student Teacher

Spend a week in Belize with AEE/INTAG 499!

Are you looking to travel abroad? Are you interested in exploring the indigenous knowledge and agricultural education of a different country? Sign up for AEE/INTAG 499: Indigenous Knowledge and Agricultural Education and travel with Penn State to Belize over Spring Break 2019! 

Through this embedded course you'll consider the role of agricultural education by visiting examples of both formal and non-formal agricultural education!  Try something new by sleeping in a traditional Mayan hut and eating food prepared by local people. Think about agriculture in new ways by touring small and large scale agriculture operations and learning about traditional agriculture practices and their role in modern life.

Last year our students got to see what sustainable farming looks like in Belize, learn about their agricultural education, explore local markets, see how agriculture ties a community together, and spend time with locals who shared their knowledge and experiences.

This course is open to any interested Penn State student! 

Not only does this opportunity satisfy the INTAG Study Abroad requirement, but you can also find something in this trip that relates to almost every major!

You can check out reflections and comments from last years' #TeachAgBelize experience here:

If you're interested in traveling to Belize this spring to explore indigenous knowledge and Agricultural Education, applications for AEE/INTAG 499 are available until November 16th. Be sure to click here and get more information about this unique opportunity!

While you're at it, check out a sneak peek of what's in store for #TeachAgBelize this spring! 

 

Hunter Kauffman

Team Leader, @TeachAgPSU Communications

Wildlife and Fisheries Science

College of Agricultural Sciences

October 2018 Student of the Month: Victoria Herr (@Victoria_Herr)

Each month we like to highlight students that have gone above and beyond in their involvement in the agriculture education program at PSU! Our October student of the month is Ms. Victoria Herr! Victoria is a senior in the Agricultural and Extension Education Program, preparing to student teach in the spring at Penns Manor high school in Indiana County, PA. Let's learn a little bit about her as we celebrate her achievements and success!

Victoria has been involved in FFA all throughout her high school career at Penn Manor, competing in multiple State and National Career Development Events (CDE's). Her Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) in high school was raising hogs and dairy beef. She served as a county officer and went on to also serve as the 2014 - 2015 Pennsylvania FFA secretary and received her American Degree in 2015. 

Since arriving at Penn State Victoria has been very active within the college community. Here on campus, Victoria has been involved in Teach Ag Society, Collegiate FFA, and is a founding member and current President of The LEAD Society at Penn State. She also is a member of Alpha Tau Alpha chapter on campus, the national professional honorary agricultural education organization. We asked Victoria what her favorite thing about Penn State is, and she responded, " I love the family atmosphere and camaraderie! I've always felt at home at Penn State!". 

Fun Facts:

Hometown: Lancaster, PA
Birthday: June 11th

Favorite PSU Class: HORT 497: Hydroponics and Aquaponics

Favorite Sports Team: Penn State Football!!

Favorite Hangout on Campus: 213 Ferguson

Favorite Place to Eat in State College: The Field or Big Bowl

We congratulate Victoria and wish her the best of luck as she prepares for student teaching this spring and graduation in May of 2019. Seeing her accomplishments thus far, it'll be a breeze! If you would like to follow her on her journey, check out her Twitter (@Victoria_Herr)!