Meet the #psuaged23 Cohort

The Agricultural and Extension Education cohort of 2023 at Penn State will include 12 seniors embarking on their student teaching internships this spring. The cohort will be spread across Pennsylvania, teaching in a wide variety of agriculture classrooms striving to make a difference while making the transition from student to “behind the desk”.  Each cohort member brings their own unique talents and interests to the classroom. Today we will be exploring each member of the cohort, and what they are looking forward to most during their student teaching internship.

Ms. Morgan Bear is eager to inspire her students to become future leaders and agriculturists that can make informed decisions.  Morgan is on the Penn State livestock judging team and looks forward to sharing the knowledge this experience has given her with her students. She is very excited to strengthen her knowledge of Ag Mech as she teaches her Intro to Ag Mechanics class during student teaching at Northern York High School this Spring. 

Ms. Carly Rudy is a cohort member deeply rooted in Ag and excited to become an agricultural educator. Her wide variety of animal science knowledge is highlighted by her love for horses and rabbits. Carly has 21 of her own Californian and Lionhead rabbits that she breeds and sells for her own small business. She will be student teaching at Tyrone Area High School this Spring where she is most looking forward to teaching about wildlife and fisheries in a Natural Resources and Ecology class.

Ms. Grace Shawver is happy to share her passion for agriculture with her students and the surrounding community. Grace’s newfound passion for travel shows through her recent experience in Nepal, where she was able to do an undergraduate research project on agricultural education. In the Spring, Selinsgrove Area High School will welcome Grace, where she is excited to teach Ag Foundations.

 

Mr. Baylor Shunk wants to expose his students to the endless opportunities and careers that the agriculture industry offers. He wrestles for the Penn State University, which gives him a unique way to connect to his students. He is excited to apply his array of previous knowledge to his small gas engines class at Central Columbia High School.

Ms. Killiann George is anticipating the forming of today’s leaders and tomorrow’s agriculturists in her classroom. Killiann has had a diverse assortment of experiences preparing her to be an agricultural educator, starting with her first ever plane ride to Belize with Penn State. She is looking forward to teaching Small Animal Science and Care at Dover Area High School this Spring. 

Mr. Jacob Turko is excited to give his students a chance to grow in the classroom. Jacob brings various resources to the classroom, including his own experiences with labs and research. He is excited to teach Environmental Resource Management during his student teaching immersion at Walter B. Saul High School this Spring.

Ms. Anna Sweeten plans to incorporate an industry she loves into her classes that will be filled with hands on learning. She loves to share that she used to live in Cuba, New York, where her passion for agriculture first began. Anna’s strong traits of leadership will shine through as she teaches an FFA Leadership course among the many others at Kennard-Dale High School this Spring.

Ms. Krista Mathias wants to Teach Ag because it gives her the ability to shape the future of the agriculture industry one student at a time. Krista will be juggling lots of Ag courses at Pequea Valley High School this Spring, where she might just share her awesome juggling skills. She is looking froward to teaching Ag Biology which highlights her previous experience of specializing in Biology at IUP.

Ms. Ambar Robalino is another cohort member excited to get on her way to teaching agriculture next semester. Amber is looking forward to sharing her unique knowledge as she teaches a class about exotic animals at Brockway Junior-Senior High School this Spring.

Ms. Nicolette Cusate is ready to hit the ground running with her student teaching experience. She will show her Agricultural Leadership students what it looks like to be a leader in Agriculture as she serves as the 2023 Clarion County Ms. United States Agriculture. Nicolette will be student teaching at Northwestern Senior High School this Spring.

Ms. Lauren Kachel will be bridging the gap between consumers and producers during her time student teaching at Penn Manor High School this Spring. Lauren’s dedication to agriculture educations shows through her love for her favorite animals, amphibians. Lauren will be highlighting this dedication as she teaches many classes, including Plant Science Two.

Ms. Elizabeth Holtry is excited to work with her cooperating center to change the lives of each of her students. Elizabeth is passionate about dairy science and her love for the outdoors. She will be able to draw on her previous experiences to relate to students as she instructs many agriculture classes at Shippensburg Area Senior High School, where she is looking forward to teaching Intro to Wildlife Management.

Morgan Bear: NAAE Upper Division Scholarship Recipient

NAAE Upper Division Scholarship Awarded to 

Morgan Bear 

The Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to recognize Morgan Bear as the NAAE Upper Division Scholarship recipient. Morgan Bear is a senior in Agricultural and Extension Education with minors in Sustainability Leadership and Leadership Development. She is set to graduate in May 2023. Morgan's hometown is  Newville, PA. She graduated from Big Spring High School.

      During her time here at Penn State, Morgan is involved in the Penn State Livestock Judging Team. In this club, they travel across the country competing in intercollegiate contests on state and

      national levels including NAILE, KILE, All-East, and the World Beef Expo. Some of Morgan's highlights in this club were in the All-East Livestock Judging Contest 2022 where she placed First High Overall individual in Market Evaluation.

      She is also a part of the College of Agricultural Sciences Ag Advocate, AESE Advising Advocate, Teach Ag Avenger,  CPPD Student Worker, Block and Bridle Club, where she is Ag Student Council Representative, and in PSU FFA Alumni and Supporters Club

Morgan's future plan after attending college is to enter the classroom directly in a high school

setting as an Agricultural Educator.  She would like to stay in Pennsylvania and start her teaching

career!

When asked why she applied for this scholarship, Morgan replied: "It is a great opportunity, sought

out a great opportunity to be nationally recognized in an organization that is known across the

profession of agricultural education. It will also help cover the cost of student teaching, as you have

to be placed for student teaching in order to receive the scholarship."

 

We asked morgan how she found out about this scholarship, and she said "I found out through being

an NAAE member and receiving emails from NAAE about it, and from the professors in the

department encouraging me to apply."

The application process included: Submitting a teaching philosophy on “Why I want to Teach

Agriculture”, a description of leadership and service activities, and submitting an official transcript.

Morgan then waited until they announced the winners for each region across the U.S. and she was the only one chosen from Region VI!

We then asked "What do you plan to use the scholarship for/towards?" and she responded:

"I would use it to help cover the costs associated with student teaching (aka traveling to the school every day and help support any other materials or supplies for instruction)." 

"Receiving this scholarship has allowed me to connect more with an organization I feel is very

important to my future profession as an agricultural educator. The support that NAAE provides

future teachers is unmatched. I am really excited to see what other opportunities are ahead for me in

the professional organization as I start my teaching career!"

Sara Lichty

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural Science

Class of 2023

Meet the 2022 September AEE Student of the Month: Grace Shawver

 September 2022 AEE Student Of The Month

Grace Shawver 

Each month the Center for Professional Personnel Development recognizes students that have outstanding achievements both academically and with extra-curricular activities and involvement. This month, we are excited to announce the 2022 Agricultural and Extension Education Student of the Month for September as Grace Shawver. She is a senior majoring in Agricultural and Extension Education and she hails from Coburn, Pennsylvania.

Grace is from Coburn, PA. She graduated from Penns Valley Area School District high school. Her intended graduation year from Penn State is 2023, majoring in Agriculture Extension and Education, with Minors in Agronomy and International Agriculture.

When asked why she chose Penn State, she responded: "I always knew that I wanted to pursue an agricultural degree and my Dad worked at the creamery. Saying this, I was very familiar with the campus, it was close to home, and it is one of the most popular land grant schools."

Her favorite PSU Class is AEE 349. Which is Shop Processes for Agricultural Educators. She was also involved in many Penn State clubs including Penn State FFA Alumni and Supporters, Penn State Beef/Sheep (Summer 2019- Fall 2021), Pasto Agricultural Museum (Summer 2021), and Global Teach Ag Network (Spring 2020- current). Her favorite Hang-out on Campus is Ferguson 214. Her favorite place to eat in State College is Lupita's Authentic Mexican Food. Her hobbies include "spending time outside like hunting, finding wild mushrooms, riding a dirt bike, and camping."

Grace's 4-H/FFA Background is with Penns Valley 4-H club. "I did various projects such as rocket making, tie dye, sewing, baking, vegetable growing, flower arrangements, and showing rabbits." She was also involved in Penns Valley FFA and was a sentinel for 2 years and competed in Vet Science and Agronomy.

"I can truly say that I have a strong interest in all aspects of agriculture locally and globally, and I want to grow and learn more within every content area. My interest started with working with animals and helping my Dad with fieldwork, so I would have to say that my strongest passions are animal science and agronomy, specifically forage crops."

"I grew up on a small beef farm in Penns Valley helping my Dad with everything that I could, which is where my interest and knowledge in agriculture were founded."

We asked Grace what her favorite experience was of traveling abroad and working for GTAN. She responded: "My favorite experience traveling to Nepal was simply being able to learn and submerge myself in a culture very different from my own. My favorite part about working for GTAN was growing my knowledge of agriculture past my local experience. Through GTAN I connected with educators and agriculturalists worldwide, which have provided me with a network that I will use for the rest of my career. If it wasn't for the Global Teach Ag Network and Dr. Foster and Dr. Miller Foster I would have never experienced such profound professional growth that has transformed me into a globally competent educator."

Grace will be student teaching next semester at Selinsgrove Area High School with Mrs. Val Fry. She shared that she is most excited "to be able to meet the students and get to share my passion for agriculture, which I hope will spark a passion in them." While student teaching she will be instructing the following classes: Agriculture Foundations, Vet Science, Horticulture, and Building Construction.

Grace's favorite quote is "Farmers who wait for perfect weather plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest."- Ecclesiastes 11:4

Congratulations again, Grace! We are so proud of you! To keep up with Grace follow her on Twitter or on Instagram @GraceShawver

Sara Lichty

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural Sciences

Class of 2023

NAAE Region VI Outstanding Agricultural Education Teacher Awarded to Ms. Darla Romberger

The Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to recognize Ms. Darla Romberger, an Agricultural Education Teacher at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, for being selected to represent Region VI of the National Association of Agricultural Educators for the Outstanding Agricultural Education Teacher Award. 

 Ms. Romberger shares, "After my student-teaching internship at the Milton Hershey School, I was hired at Cumberland Valley High School in August of 2013 and have been at CV ever since! Over the past 10 years, I’ve taught a variety of coursework across the Animal Science, Plant Science, and Ag Mechanics pathways. If I had to choose a favorite course, it would be CASE Animal & Plant Biotechnology or Agricultural Fabrication. I’ve also served as a CASE Lead Teacher since 2016 and have co-taught in-person and virtual CASE Institutes in Animal Science and AFNR." As you can tell, Ms. Romberger has gained a plethora of teaching experiences under her belt as she is entering her tenth year in the classroom!

Ms. Romberger is not new to agriculture in fact she grew up on a farm where her family custom-raised dairy heifers and grew corn, soybeans, small grains, and hay crops. She also got a glimpse into agribusiness as her parents own and operated a feed mill and nutritional consulting service. These led to involvement with 4-H and FFA where she then found a niche exhibiting livestock at county fairs and the PA Farm Show. She said, "I loved being involved in agriculture-related activities and had always considered being a teacher, so I was excited to learn that a career as an Ag Teacher existed so I could combine my interests!"

From there Ms. Romberger was hooked and grew her passion for teaching and agriculture by continuing her education at Delaware Valley University. "During my undergraduate career at Del Val, I was a Supplemental Instruction Leader for several Chemistry courses for 3 years. In this position, I led group tutoring sessions, retaught lectures and labs, and conducted test prep sessions. What I thought was going to be a short-lived job turned into a phenomenal 3-year experience where I solidified my passion for teaching and helping students find success." Her passion and enthusiasm for teaching started to shine through her students and still does today.

She shared why she is inspired to teach agriculture. "My passion is teaching others about the source of food, fiber, and natural resources and the science behind getting agricultural products to consumers. Each day is a new opportunity to make an impact on the future of agriculture and help students find their passion through school-based Agricultural Education. I firmly believe that each student has a strength they can share with others and that every student can gain valuable life experiences through Agricultural Education and FFA."

As Ms. Romberger continues to pave her path through agricultural education she said that her favorite part of being an Agricultural Educator is the variety of experiences that come with the job. "I enjoy teaching a variety of agricultural subjects throughout the day and designing FFA & SAE opportunities to help students apply classroom knowledge to real-world experiences. I also enjoy continuously learning about new advancements in agricultural science through professional development and collaborating with colleagues across the nation." 

While some of her favorite parts about being an Agricultural Educator involve the students, there are challenges that also come along with teaching students day in and day out. "The most challenging part of teaching agriculture is balancing your strengths and agricultural interests as a teacher with student interests and the needs of the community. In some cases, this means taking extra time to learn a new content area or find community resources to support a new course. However, approaching this challenge with an open mind can be extremely rewarding and lead to great relationships with community supporters and unique SAE opportunities for students."

The Agricultural Education program at Cumberland Valley High School is a rockstar program that has gained various recognition across the state and nation. Cumberland Valley Agricultural Sciences is a 3-teacher program that supports 275 students in grades 9-12. The department is split between 2 buildings (a 9th grade academy and 10th-12th grade high school). The program offers a CASE Plant Science and a CASE Animal Science pathway with courses that fulfill science graduation requirements and 3 rotating Agricultural Mechanics courses. 

The program is adding a CASE Natural Resources pathway in the 2023-24 school year to align with a renewed community focus on environmental sustainability. Touted as one of the fastest growing school districts in Pennsylvania, the Cumberland Valley School District is primarily suburban with several preserved farms in the western part of the school district. There are numerous animal nutrition, food science, hydroponics, and nursery landscape businesses within the school district. With these demographics, AgriScience is the primary focus of the coursework so students understand the science, processing, and marketing aspects of agriculture and natural resources industries. An FFA Leadership Team of 7 FFA Officers and 6 Committee Chairs develop and lead a progressive Program of Activities that includes nearly 100 events to Grow Leaders, Strengthen Agriculture, and Build Communities.

Some CV program highlights include:

• 2017 PAAE Outstanding Agriculture Program
• Cumberland Valley FFA has been a nationally recognized 3-Star FFA chapter since 2013
• 15 FFA State Champion Teams since 2013
• 9 FFA State Runner-Up Teams since 2013
• 30 State FFA Proficiency Award winners since 2013
• 89 Keystone FFA Degree recipients since 2013

A few words of wisdom that Ms. Romberger shares for any high school students considering a career in agricultural education is to "take advantage of any opportunity to lead a group, present a workshop, or volunteer with an agricultural organization! Don’t be afraid to talk to current Ag Teachers in your school or county to offer help with ag literacy events, officer retreats, or other education-related events."

Congratulations again, Ms. Romberger on earning the Outstanding Agricultural Education Teacher Award. You represent Pennsylvania Agricultural Education with great pride, and we could not be more excited to have you represent our state and region at the National NAAE Convention this November in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education 

Class of 2023