WE ARE happy to share this Penn State senior's journey to becoming an Agricultural Educator. As Alyssa Landis gears up for her student teaching experience in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, she shares many experiences that shaped her passion and love for Ag Ed.
Alyssa was an active member of FFA at Selinsgrove Area High School where she was involved in many committees, served as a chapter and a SUN Area officer, and participated in as many CDEs and LDEs as she could. The highlight of her time as an FFA member was receiving her American FFA Degree in 2019! She also shared with us who inspired her to pursue Ag Ed as a career. "I was inspired to pursue Ag Ed by my ag teachers, Mrs. Fry and Mr. Swineford. I was very shy and lacked self-confidence when I entered high school, but FFA completely changed that. My ag teachers always pushed me out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to take opportunities in FFA, whether that was competing in an LDE or using a chainsaw. Mrs. Fry and Mr. Swineford saw potential in me that I didn’t see in myself at the time, and I don’t know where I would be without all of their support and motivation."
While following her passion for Ag Ed, Alyssa did not see herself at Penn State originally. "Penn State was not my first choice school. While I did get accepted into my first choice school, I realized that it was further from home than I could probably handle and it was way too expensive. Originally, I chose Penn State because it’s where my ag teachers went, it was reasonably priced (at least as reasonably priced as I could hope for), and it seemed like a safe choice. Today, I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else and I absolutely love Penn State. I’m a firm believer that everything in life works out as it should, and I think I am exactly where I am supposed to be." The experiences she gained at Penn State have shaped her as a person today. One of her favorite opportunities at Penn State was Domestic Study Away with LEAD Society to the state of Montana. She found it eye-opening to see the diversity of FFA programs on the other side of the country and visit National Parks on her bucket list.
The current pandemic of COVID-19 has challenged and pushed Alyssa to succeed this year. Her go to quarantine snack has been cucumbers with cream cheese and everything bagel seasoning and she has developed a hobby for puzzles as well. After quarantine she is most looking forward to attending concerts. COVID-19 has helped her to prepare for student teaching, Alyssa explains. "I’ve become a lot better at managing my time and holding myself accountable since quarantine. At the beginning of the shutdown, I found myself wasting a lot of time and not being very productive, so I had to find little ways to motivate myself and set goals and deadlines." In addition, she has been collecting a lot of virtual resources she can use with her students in an online environment. "One of the reasons that students sign up to take ag classes is for the hands-on aspect, so I know how frustrating it can be trying to learn topics like electrical wiring and small gas engines through a computer. By using online tools like simulators and games, I can keep my students engaged and still allow them to apply the theory that they are learning." Overall, COVID-19 has forced Alyssa to become a lot more self-disciplined as she moves towards her student teaching experience this spring.
Alyssa will be heading to teach with Mr. Douglas Brown at Central Columbia High School. There are a lot of reasons why she chose Central Columbia as a cooperating center, but a few are the community support, facilities, and all of the wisdom that she can gain from having Mr. Brown as a cooperating teacher. In addition, she is most excited about meeting the students that she will be teaching and sharing her passion for agriculture and FFA with. One thing she is nervous for is teaching units on welding. She says, "it’s definitely a content area that I’m not as strong in."
After graduation and her pre-service teaching experience, she hopes to find a job teaching agriculture somewhere in central Pennsylvania. She has had a journey like no other while at Penn State and we are excited for the journey to follow for Alyssa. Best of luck student teaching and we look forward to all of great accomplishments you will continue to make. To keep up with Alyssa's teaching experiences, be sure to check out her blog at agventuresofalyssa.blogspot.com.
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