We Welcome Graduate Student Kendra Flood into the Penn State Teach Ag! Family

 This year the Penn State Teach Ag! Family has had the pleasure of receiving a new graduate student in Agricultural and Extension Education. With just a semester at Penn State under her belt, Kendra Flood has already proven to be a talented addition to Pennsylvania Agricultural and Extension Education.

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. 

Kendra earned her Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Systems and Education with a specialization in Agricultural Education and a minor in Crops, Soil, and Environmental Management from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. When asked about why she chose to pursue Agricultural Education, Kendra explained, "I am passionate about teaching agriculture, because agriculture is something that is all around us, but we are not always aware of it. I think it is important to teach students to become educated consumers and, possibly, agriculturists". As an undergraduate, Kendra was involved in the Agricultural Education Club, Collegiate FFA, College of Agricultural Science Student Council, Alpha Tau Alpha, and other agricultural organizations. She has also completed an internship with The Equity, an agricultural co-op, during two summer breaks. Outside of her academic career, Kendra can always be found on a hike with her Border Collie sidekick, Milo.

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. 

After completing her Master's with Penn State, Kendra hopes to gain a few years of experience teaching at the high school level and then earn her Ph. D. in either policy or education. In the future she hopes to someday create policy for the agricultural industry and Agricultural Education. Until then however, we are excited to witness Kendra's growth during her time at Penn State. Her advice to students interested in pursuing a degree in Agricultural Education would be, "Find a program and faculty member who lets you be the driver of your program. Dr. Kevin Curry always reminds me of how important it is to pursue things I care about as I will be writing about that subject for a while. So, it is important to find a program that will let you explore those areas you are interested in". 

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