The Center for Professional Personnel Development is excited to recognize Jenna Kibbe, a senior studying Agricultural and Extension Education as the 2021 September Student of the Month! Jenna is from Findley Lake, New York and a graduate of Clymer Central School. During her senior year of high school, she was elected to serve as the New York FFA State Treasurer in 2017-2018. She attended Penn State Behrend for her first year of undergraduate studies. Jenna is a senior preparing to embark on her student teaching experience this spring where she will be teaching at Gettysburg Area High School under Ms. Jenna Timmons and Mrs. Laura Kennedy. Additionally, Jenna is pursuing two minors along with her degree in both Spanish and International Agriculture.
While attending Penn State, Jenna has been involved in a variety of student organizations including LEAD Society, Spanish Immersion Club, and SALT. She has taken advantage of student employment opportunities including supervising concessions at Beaver Stadium, welcoming the newest Penn State students as a New Student Orientation Leader in 2020, and serving as an Agriculture Education Avenger over the past few years.
Jenna's passion for agriculture was sparked from her family, where agriculture is a deep tradition. She shares that
"My grandfather and dad were both active members of FFA and were involved in showing livestock and competing at all levels in the state. Although I have never shown an animal a day in my life, I grew up with the love of gardening and wildlife management. From helping my dad with his food plots to selling my vegetables at the end of my driveway in the summer, I always enjoyed being outside and enjoying God’s beauty through my involvement in the agriculture industry. My passion only grew as I got older, so I challenged myself by working on a horse farm starting at the bottom by cleaning stalls to eventually being a trail guide."In her free time, Jenna enjoys playing basketball, hiking, reading books and watching movies! You can find Jenna on campus at her favorite spots which are the Creamery and Arboretum. Her favorite places to eat in State College are Plaza and Rey Azteca, which she said are some of the best comfort foods!
As Jenna spends the fall semester preparing for her student teaching experience, she is hoping to make a lasting impact on students and the program at Gettysburg Area High School. She states
"I am looking forward to teaching classes in Animal Science, Horticulture, Landscape Design and Introduction to Agriculture. One of my main goals for student teaching is to make impactful connections with my students. I hope inspire my students to become lifelong learners and advocates for the agriculture industry. I also hope to help guide them out of their comfort zone to develop leadership skills to become better leaders in the future. Another one of my goals is to be a positive and active member of the community by making a meaningful difference. Whether it’s through service learning, donations or community service projects, I hope to strengthen the relations between community members and my students to make a positive impact. My final goal is to better my skills as a teacher and leader. I want to be proactive in learning from my cooperating teachers, administration and students." Jenna has been a great example of a what being a good leader is like to her colleagues and friends. We know she will accomplish great things throughout her student teaching experience.
Jenna wanted to share a piece of advice for underclassmen. "For any underclassmen reading this, I would recommend that you spend your time in college exploring different passions and take advantage of every opportunity that you can! It is great to find passions that bring you joy and comfort you when you are stressed in college. It is easy to be overwhelmed and overwork yourself like I did. However, when I felt like my stress levels were getting high, I always had my few passions/hobbies that helped me refresh and enjoy my time here at Penn State!" We are proud to see how Jenna has grown over the past few years at Penn State and excited to see where her Ag Ed journey continues to take her. Keep up with Jenna by following her on Instagram or Twitter @JennaKibbe.
Morgan Bear
CPPD Student Worker
Agricultural & Extension Education
Class of 2023
