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.