CPPD November Student of the Month- Celia Graef!

 

AEE November Student of the Month

The Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to congratulate Celia Graef for being recognized as the November Agricultural and Extension Education Student of the Month. Celia is a Senior Majoring in AEE with an Environmental Science Focus and minors in International Agriculture, Entomology, and Biology. She is from State College, Pennsylvania, and graduated from State College Area High School.

When asked why she chose Penn State Celia states that because      "[it]  made sense financially, and I originally wanted to study Entomology, so I was planning on majoring in Immunology and Infectious Disease with a minor in Entomology. I quickly realized that I do not like Chemistry, and I like working with people, so I

switched to AEE. I kept the entomology minor and picked up Biology and International Agriculture so that I can have a well-rounded base of knowledge to use with the teaching skills I've learned through AEE. I'm happy I picked Penn State, and I'm glad I did not stick with Chemistry." Her favorite class that she has taken was Biology 417 which is Invertebrate Biology. On campus, she is involved in the PSU Beekeeper's Club as an executive member and the Entomology Grad Student Association as the Undergraduate Representative.

Celia is particularly interested and passionate about the connection between Agriculture and Environmental Conservation and the importance of teaching Global Agriculture. She has had internships in the Frost Entomological Museum as a Collections Assistant, as a Shaver's Creek Environmental Center Naturalist, and in Boulder, Colorado as a Growing Gardens Educator. A couple of defining experiences in her college career included her Student Engagement and Experiential Discovery (SEED) semester and her involvement in the Global Orientation in Agricultural Learning (GOALs) program. For the future, Celia says" I plan to teach in some capacity, but I'm not exactly sure how I want to do that yet. I can see myself teaching in a high school or middle school classroom teaching Ag, Environmental Science, STEM, or Biology. I can also see myself teaching in an informal setting at an outdoor

school or environmental center.

While on campus, Celia enjoys hanging out in the big comfy chairs in the Forest Resources Building. Her favorite place to eat in State College is Cafe Alina. Her hobbies include sewing, hiking, cooking, and playing the piano. One interesting thing about Celia is that she can play the accordion. 

In January, Celia will begin student teacher with Mrs. Carly Rippole at Derry Area High School. She will be teaching Natural Resources and Ecology, Floral Design, Food Science, Intro to Horticulture, Plant Science, and Equine Science. Both Celia and Mrs. Rippole participated in the SEED semester during their time at Penn State and Celia is excited to learn more about her experiences and how she uses what she learned in the classroom.

Celia's favorite quote:

"A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there." - Gina Milicia

Follow Celia on Twitter: @celia_graef

Erica Teagarden

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2026