Megan Royer Hits a Home Run with Agricultural and Extension Education

Growing up in a house that frequently hosted professional baseball players, it is no surprise that Ms. Megan Royer is a HUGE baseball fan. So, after her experience with agricultural education in high school, FFA, and 4-H, Megan knew that in pursuing a degree in Agricultural and Extension Education at Penn State she would be hitting a home run for her career.

As a student at State College Area High School, Mr. Paul Heasley introduced Megan to a multitude of topics in agriculture. Alongside her academic interests in the industry, Megan also took advantage of developing as a leader through the State College Little Lions FFA Chapter. She served as her chapter's Parliamentarian and Vice President, participated in various local, state, and national events, and was awarded her American degree. Megan participated in the Capstone Program and completed two Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE) as well. Her first SAE involved working at her local USDA-ARS station on Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass research. Alongside this project, she also completed an entrepreneurship SAE by raising pigs to be sold at the Center County Grange Fair. Megan also brought her community into her high school Agricultural Education experience by putting on an Ag Science Fair. In the end, it was the collective work of Mr. Paul Heasley, Mrs. Myken Poorman, and her great grandparents Randall and Charlotte Albright who inspired her to pursue a career in teaching. "They all taught me what agriculture and education meant to them as well as the impact you can leave on the world through agriculture". 

When it came time for Megan to apply to colleges, she had been sold on the idea of pursuing her degree anywhere but at Penn State. "I have lived in State College my entire life so... I wanted to explore, get out of my home town and see what else the world had to offer". After some persuasion from her family however, Megan realized that while she had not chosen Penn State, Penn State chose her. Though she was hesitant to dive into the program at first, she was welcomed with open arms by her peers and the faculty of the Agricultural and Extension Education major. The atmosphere at Penn State made her feel like she was a part of something so much bigger than her home town and she delighted at the opportunity to travel and meet people from all over the world as a Teach Ag Avenger and member of L.E.A.D. Society. "I also had the opportunity to participate in some pretty amazing internships some involving research, others focusing on extension and educator development. I learned so much from these experiences from content knowledge, organizational skills, technology skills, as well as building relationships I plan to carry with me throughout my Ag Ed Journey." 

When the COVID-19 pandemic came along and disrupted her junior and senior year, Megan found that she was challenged in some interesting, but not necessarily negative ways. While she was no longer able to participate in in-person classes and events, her cohort tried to make the best of their situation by   channeling their inner Shania Twain when one of them needed to be reminded of how great they are. "Most importantly, we became creative in our thinking, lesson planning, and unit planning. Finding ways to engage with our cohort member during lab both in person and online as well as getting the most out of our activities and interest approaches. From creating an online game of Guess Who, participating in online observations of pets, or simply navigating what working in partners looks like over the computer. It forced us to find new ways to reach our students but it also created a spring board of ideas that we constantly were bouncing off of each other." 

In addition to challenging Megan to grow through the situation she found herself in during the pandemic, COVID- 19 also allowed her to become more familiar with Zoom. She was able to facilitate 4-H camp virtually this past summer and says, "This challenged me to think about what I could do with the resources typically found at home that members ages 8-18 would also have access to. There were lots of days of trial and error, many giggles, and a whole lot of fun. This experience I would say has had a huge part in my preparation for student teaching and I am grateful that Christine and Huntingdon County 4-H were willing to give me the opportunity." Getting familiar with different ways to reach students has allowed her to become confident in using technology in the classroom, which is one less task she needs to be anxious about when Student Teaching. 

Despite COVID-19's best efforts to bench Megan and the rest of the #psuaged21 cohort, she is Student Teaching at Athens Area High School with Mrs. Sarabeth Alderfer and Mr. David Steinfelt. "I picked this cooperating center for many reasons, but what I believed to me the most important was their focus on their students. In the crazy world we live in both Mr. Steinfelt and Mrs. Alderfer are incredibly focused on meeting the students’ needs, making sure they are properly prepared for life after high school whether that looks like a 2-year program, 4 year program, or entering directly into the workforce". In addition to being excited about the dedication they give to their students, Megan is looking forward to helping her cooperating center participate in different events through FFA, teaching her Shark Tank Unit in Ag Mechanics 2, and her veterinary science course. All of these things will push Megan out of her comfort zone, but she is up for the challenge and ready to learn. Looking forward to her internship, Megan admitted that she was most nervous for her first day as a Student Teacher because she wants to be respected by her students, but understands it takes time to earn the kind of respect that Mr. Steinfelt and Mrs. Alderfer receive. Overall, Megan hopes, "to learn classroom management and engagement skills with my students. Each student is different and navigating their needs is important to me so I hope, through this experience, I can better gain an understanding of what to do when various situations arise".

Going into her Student Teaching Experience, Megan recognizes that online teaching is difficult, because it’s hard to know where your students are at. However, she knows that online teaching will not be forever and her virtual experiences have only made her desire to be in the classroom stronger.  About her experiences with online teaching Megan states, "Ultimately, it reminded me of the big picture which is showing my students how much they can do with a little bit of knowledge".

When asked what her plans are after graduation, Megan jokes, "Hopefully a job". Though she is unsure of whether she would like to pursue a formal or non-formal position, since she has experience with both, she knows that she wants to look out of state for a job and take advantage of an opportunity to travel. Megan, your Ag Ed family is cheering you on as you run around the bases of your agricultural education experience. We know that your drive and dedication to your students will have you hitting home runs no matter where your takes you! Remember to take time to breath and enjoy your favorite quarantine snack, Middleswarth Barbeque Potato Chips. Be sure to stay up to date with Megan's Student Teaching Experience at Athens Area High School through her blog Megan's Crowning Moments https://meganforaday.blogspot.com/.

Taylor Halbleib

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2022