2023 Cohort Final Presentations Showcase

Senior Presentations Showcase

2023 Cohort 

    The members of the 2023 Cohort have completed their final presentations and officially started their student teaching experience. In their final presentations, they demonstrated what they have learned during their educational journey that prepared them for becoming future educators. 

For each presentation, they are expected to answer the following three questions: 

• What do I aspire to be as a teacher? 
• What experiential education opportunities have I engaged in to become a better Agricultural Educator? 
• How am I prepared to maximize my student teaching internship opportunity?

    We are so proud of each of our seniors and hope you enjoy watching them present all they have accomplished during their college careers and all they hope to accomplish in their future careers. The entire playlist is linked below, or scroll down to view each individual and their video. 

Use this link to access the entire playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vlAoiMaNwQ&list=PLysuEbjHRsoExMjtlfRQDwMxH6cDlJdey 

Anna Sweeten

Anna Sweeten is currently doing her student teaching at Kennard-Dale High School in Fawn Grove, PA, with Ms. Hannah Harris. 

Baylor Shunk

Baylor Shunk is currently student teaching at Central Columbia High School in Bloomsburg PA, with Mr. Douglas Brown. 

Carly Rudy

Carly Rudy is currently student teaching at Tyrone Area High School in Tyrone, PA, with Mrs. Tiffany Hoy.

Grace Shawver

Grace Shawver is now student teaching at Selinsgrove Area High School in Selinsgrove, PA, with Ms. Valerie Fry.

Jacob Turko

Jacob Turko is currently student teaching at Walter B. Saul High School in Philadelphia, PA, with Ms. Tiffany Turrentine.

Killiann George

Killiann George is currently student teaching at Dover Area High School in Dover, PA, with Mrs. Alex Barzdylo.

Krista Mathias

 Krista Mathias is currently student teaching at Pequea Valley High School in Kinzers, PA, with Mrs. Jasmine VanSant.

Lauren Kachel

Lauren Kachel is currently student teaching at Penn Manor High School in Millersville, PA, with Mr. Neil Fellenbaum. 

Elizabeth Holtry

Elizabeth Holtry is currently student teaching at Shippensburg Area Senior High School in Shippensburg, PA, with Ms. Kelly Bier.

Morgan Bear

Morgan Bear is currently student teaching at Northern York High School in York County, PA, with Ms. Meagan Smyers.

Nicolette Cusate

Nicolette Cusate is currently student teaching at Northwestern Senior High School in Albion, PA, with Mr. Anthony Honeycutt.

Amber Lema Ramos Robalino

Amber Robalino is currently student teaching at Brockway Junior-Senior High School in Brockway, PA, with Mr. Kyle Norman.

Sara Lichty

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural Sciences

Class of 2023

Agricultural and Extension Education March Student of the Month: Nell Barbour

Each month the Center for Professional Personnel Development recognizes students that have great achievement 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 March as Nell Barbour. She is a senior majoring in Agricultural and Extension Education and she hails from Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Nell attended Williamsport Area High School and did not come from an Agricultural Education program. She made her way to Penn State after attending the Pennsylvania School for Excellence in the Agricultural Sciences (PSEAS) in 2017, and then she knew that Penn State was the right fit for her so it was the only place she applied to! Throughout her time at Penn State, Nell has spent all four years at the University Park campus. Her favorite course was Biological Science 3 (BISCI 3) at Penn State. She has been actively involved in her community as she served as a West Nile Virus Technician for Lycoming County since the summer of 2019, and she has been a waitress for the Hillside Catering Company since 2017. One of her favorite places to hang out on campus is the HUB Lawn and to grab some food at Otto's Pub and Brewery. You can always catch Nell supporting her favorite team, the Nittany Lions at any given time.

This semester, Nell has been busy completing her student teaching internship at Manheim Central High School. She has been a rock star with this experience and has made a huge impact on the program and students at Manheim. Her greatest passion in teaching agriculture has been getting to educate youth from different backgrounds and make connections with them through agriculture. After graduation, Nell has plans of moving to Dubois, Wyoming to work on a dude ranch.

Nell's hobbies include going to the gym, listening to Zach Bryan on a continuous loop, and horseback riding. Her favorite quote is "The great science of   living happily is to live in the present." 

Congratulations again, Nell! We are so proud of you! To keep up with Nell follow her on Twitter @barbour_nell or on Instagram @nellbarbour.  

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education 

Class of 2023

March 2021 AEE Student of the Month: Lacey Walker

 

For the month of March, the Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to recognize Lacey Walker of Glen Rock, Pennsylvania as the Student of the Month. Growing up on her family's farm and being involved in 4-H sparked her interest in agriculture, and as she continued to grow up and find her role in helping around the farm she realized that she wanted to work in the agricultural industry. She had many inspirations for Teaching Ag, she expressed "Many people inspired my to Teach Ag, especially seeing younger kids discover their love for agriculture in 4-H. One of the most influential people was Linda Spahr, who was my 4-H county extension agent. It was amazing to watch her work with us 4-H kids and help get kids excited about agriculture. "

Lacey is a rising senior, and attended Susquehannock High School and decided to come to Penn State to pursue her major in Agricultural and Extension Education with a minor in International Agriculture. She chose Penn State because the College of Agricultural Sciences is well-known and a big university while also providing many opportunities to succeed with a small college feel in the major. Throughout Lacey's three years at University Park, her favorite class was Animal Science 201 with Dale Olver. The clubs she is involved in are Penn State Block and Bridle and Lead Society. In addition, she devotes time to working as an undergraduate intern for the Global Teach Ag Network while also serving as a Teach Ag Avenger. Before coming to Penn State, Lacey was involved in 4-H a great deal as she was a part of three clubs where she exhibited market goats and dairy beef. 4-H also gave her an opportunity to travel to Wisconsin and Idaho through the 4-H exchange program. 

Aside from doing school work, Lacey enjoys doing anything outdoors, especially going on hikes or runs with her dog, and hanging out with her family and friends. You may find Lacey in her favorite place to hang out on campus, on the second floor of Agriculture and Science Industries building (ASI). This summer she plans to continue working as a Global Teach Ag Network intern and help out around her family's farm. Lacey is also gearing up to begin her student teaching experience next Spring and is preparing for that. If you are interested in keeping up to date with her student teaching experiences, be sure to follow her blog at Ms. Walker's "Wise" Tales (walkerteachag.blogspot.com). Upon graduation she plans to work with youth likely in a high school agriculture classroom, but she has also been exploring international opportunities as well. 

A piece of advice she wanted to leave underclassmen is "Get involved and get to know your advisors, professors, and classmates. It will pay off in the long run when you have questions or are looking for opportunities you will have connections!" Over the past few years we have enjoyed getting to watch Lacey develop into a great leader and role model to her peers. We can't wait to see where the future leads you, Lacey! Congratulation's again on being the March 2021 Student of the Month. To find more about Lacey, follow her social media page on Twitter @lacey_walker13.

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2023

Penn State Ag Alumni Society Internship Award's Benefit Penn State Agricultural Education Students

The Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to recognize students in the Agricultural and Extension Education major that were awarded Penn State Agricultural Alumni Society Internship Awards. These students have all completed internships related to agriculture which helped them to gain different experiences across the field. The students who received this award were Mary Wurzbach of the 2020 cohort, Justin Kurtz, Nathan Moyer, and Jenna Kibbe of the 2022 cohort.

The Ag Alumni Society at Penn State has many benefits for undergraduate students. "The Internship award, established in 1986, is a competitive awards program designed to encourage undergraduate students to participate in internships. The Society recognizes the importance of planned on-the-job learning experience to adequately prepare students for today's competitive job market. The Ag Alumni Society has distributed over $201,000 in internship awards benefiting 300 students." This past fall, we were grateful to have had four Agricultural and Extension Education students receive these awards to help pay off their college tuition costs and more.

Mary Wurzbach completed her internship at Oley Valley High School in Oley, Pennsylvania where she student taught under Mr. Jeremy Deysher and Mrs. Kacey Rice at their formal agricultural education program. Mary shared "The internship award seemed like the perfect way to share my experiences from student teaching to Penn State College of Agriculture alumni." While at Oley Valley Mary taught students in grades 8-12 in a variety of agricultural related topics while interacting with over 150 students over 15 weeks. While student teaching during a global pandemic, the philosophy Mary created kept her motivated during a difficult time. "After my student teaching experience, my philosophy of teaching has expanded to include a work-life balance and being sure to use different resources." After wrapping up her student teaching experience, Mary decided to work at Kreider Farms as an Assistant Processing Manager at their Middletown egg facility. 

Justin Kurtz was another recipient of the Ag Alumni Award as he completed his internship with Shaver's Creek Environmental Center. During his internship he worked with the guidance from Mr. Brian Sedgewick and Mr. Chris Diehl on the grounds and facilities team. Justin shared a few details about his experience. "My duties included tasks such as cleaning restrooms, landscaping, and trail maintenance. There was never a day where I went home regretting my decision to partake in the experience." Learning is a common part of any internship, and Justin highlighted that his internship taught him that professional relationships matter in making connections for future endeavors. Being a well-rounded educator is something Justin is working on building throughout his time at Penn State and Shaver's Creek has taught him this through what he highlighted as "our best learning happens in our natural environment which I strive to create for students, the same way the Environmental Center has done for me."

Nathan Moyer our third recipient, spent time interning at Ashburn's Animals, a non-profit animal rescue located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.  Ashburn's is home to more than 100 animals, including horses, sheep, snakes, birds, and much more. Due to Covid-19 Nathan's experiences looked different at his internship as he shares, "Normally, I would have been lesson-planning and facilitating a week-long farm camp experience opened for youth aged 6-12. Instead, most of my summer was spent re-designing the website, managing the website, engaging online audiences through social media, creating digital and graphic content to highlight the animals at the rescue, and promoting the rescue through guided tours of the facilities." Nathan made the most of his time spent at Ashburn's Animals and learned a few things along the way including developing his skills in graphic design and photography including programs like Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, Spark, and Illustrator, as well as the Facebook, Instagram, and Wix website builder. Nathan stated "With technology continuing to change, it's important that educators adapt to those changes to engage with their students (no matter how old they may be) on a relatable level."

Although the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted many plans, one thing still remained; nearly 15,000 new Penn State students from across the globe still had to be welcomed into the family. Jenna Kibbe, who received the award completed an internship this summer which allowed her to serve as a New Student Orientation Leader for Penn State’s Student Orientation and Transition Programs. Over the course of the spring and summer, she transformed the orientation program to be completely virtual while still allowing new Penn State students to build connections and prepare for their journey ahead. Jenna shares, "I was able to fine tune many of my communication and leadership skills by facilitating workshops about academics, Penn State resources, and ways to make the most out of their college careers. From learning about how to be more inclusive to everyone, to effectively communicating a message and being able to be flexible in any situation, it is safe to say that many of these skills will be very beneficial in my future."  As Jenna pursues a career as an Agriculture Educator, she will surely take all of the lessons learned from this summer experience and apply them in her future classroom.

 

These students have went above and beyond in not only completing an internship experience, but maximizing the potential learning opportunities from them. We are proud to have them earn these awards sponsored by the Penn State Agricultural Alumni Society. Many Agricultural and Extension Education students have gained valuable skills from taking on an internship experience and we encourage other students to apply in the future! To apply for the Ag Alumni Society Internship Award in the future, check out the following link. https://agsci.psu.edu/alumni/awards/student/internship-award for more information.

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2023

February 2021 AEE Student of the Month: Morgan Bear

The Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to recognize a rock star student as the February Student of the Month for the Agricultural and Extension Education, Morgan Bear. Morgan is a sophomore here at Penn State and a graduate of the Big Spring High School in Newville, Pennsylvania.  She plans to major in Agricultural and Extension Education.

Morgan is no stranger to the agricultural industry.  She is a former 4-H member and FFA Alumni.  She was very active as a high school student in the Big Spring FFA chapter later serving as the 2018-2019 Pennsylvania FFA State Secretary.  After exploring her passion through several 4-H and FFA projects her passion led her to choosing to purse Agricultural and Extension Education.

When asked why she chose to attend Penn State Morgan stated, she is a first generation college student and was unsure of where she wanted to attend. After visiting a few schools, Morgan knew there was just something special about Penn State, BUT never visited the campus until she had served as a state officer! Through the connections made as a state officer with the Agricultural and Extension Education staff she made the decision to trade in the blue and gold for the blue and white! Morgan states: “Now, I could not imagine myself anywhere else!” We are surely glad she decided to join the #TeachAgPSU family!

One of the greatest qualities Morgan possesses is she is extremely active. While studying at Penn State she is active in the LEAD Society and Penn State Block and Brindle clubs, serves as a Teach Ag Avenger and works in the Center for Professional Personnel Development as a student worker. Morgan continues to be active outside of Penn State as she has accepted an internship with the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau this summer!

Some fun facts about Morgan is she loves to eat at Little Szechuan downtown and The Waffle Shop! She was a competitive gymnast for 15 years and her favorite class at Penn State is AEE 204N, Agricultural Science Literacy and Policy. Upon graduation Morgan plans to pursue a career as a high school agricultural teacher! Morgan’s favorite quote is: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Theodore Roosevelt.

Morgan we know no matter where you go, you will always do the best you can with what you have! We cannot wait to see you to continue to grow and impact future agriculturalist in your classroom! To keep up with Morgan on her Ag Ed Journey follow her on Twitter and Instagram @morganbear_.

Killiann George
CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2023

January 2021 AEE Student of the Month: Brandon Bixler

 The Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to start off the year by recognizing the January Student of the Month for Agricultural and Extension Education who is a freshman from East Earl, Pennsylvania and the 2021 Pennsylvania FFA National Officer Candidate, Brandon Bixler! Brandon is planning to major in Agricultural and Extension Education with minors in International Agriculture, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and possibly Wildlife and Fisheries.

Brandon attended Garden Spot High School in New Holland, Pennsylvania where he was involved in the agricultural education program as a Grassland FFA member. Brandon shares

"I didn't come from an agricultural background, so I have a passion for teaching others who may not have agricultural experience. My own experience proves just how valuable and transformative an agricultural education can be, and I want to pass on the positive impact my own agriculture teachers have made on my life! I also value teaching with a global perspective and helping to improve food security around the world. Agriculture is essential for a sustainable future for our world, and I find it exciting to be a part of that!" He has shown great growth and determination as he served the Pennsylvania FFA Association in 2019-2020 as the State Vice-President. As Brandon's journey through agricultural education continues he has chosen Penn State to further his studies.

While in high school, Brandon had numerous agricultural educators that attended Penn State and encouraged him to check out the program."I was privileged to learn from and work with numerous ag teachers who went to Penn State for Agricultural and Extension Education, and in those teachers I saw leaders and role models of the kind of person I wanted to be! After I made the decision to teach ag, coming to Penn State was a no brainer!" These were not the only reasons Brandon chose Penn State, he also chose Penn State because of the incredible agriculture teacher training program Penn State offers and the professional networks that Penn State holds within agricultural education across the state and country.

While attending Penn State for the first year, Brandon has gotten a great start at developing his leadership roles in student organizations and clubs. He currently serves as the LEAD Society Treasurer, and Ag Student Council Financial Chair, while he is also involved in Collegiate Farm Bureau. Brandon also works as an Undergraduate Intern for the Global Teach Ag Network and as a Teach Ag Avenger. In addition to the time Brandon spends across these areas he also is involved in an Undergraduate Research Project with a group called Agriculture for Africa. "I review best practices in using agricultural education to support high-risk youth populations. An end goal of this project is to use agricultural/career and technical education to support high-risk youth in jails/correctional facilities in the country of Cameroon."

Outside of Penn State and agriculture, Brandon enjoys cheering on his favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles and Penn State any chance he gets! He also enjoys spending time outside such as hunting, fishing, and hiking. He loves spending time with family and friends, playing card/board games, and reading good books! Upon graduation, he plans to become a high school agricultural education teacher in Pennsylvania and is interested in exploring research, international teaching, and business opportunities. Brandon's favorite quote he shared that helped him to gain a different perspective on leadership was "Leadership is lonely" from Secretary of Agriculture, Russell Redding. 

Brandon, we are so excited to watch you grow over your years at Penn State and know you will continue to accomplish great things as a student and future agricultural educator! WE ARE so proud to have you represent Pennsylvania FFA and Penn State Ag Ed at the national level. To keep up with Brandon on his Ag Ed journey be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrandonBixler and on Instagram @brandon.bixler.

   

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2023

Alyssa Landis is Tagged to Teach Ag #psuaged21!

WE ARE happy to share this Penn State senior's journey to becoming an Agricultural Educator. As Alyssa Landis gears up for her student teaching experience in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, she shares many experiences that shaped her passion and love for Ag Ed. 

Alyssa was an active member of FFA at Selinsgrove Area High School where she was involved in many committees, served as a chapter and a SUN Area officer, and participated in as many CDEs and LDEs as she could. The highlight of her time as an FFA member was receiving her American FFA Degree in 2019! She also shared with us who inspired her to pursue Ag Ed as a career. "I was inspired to pursue Ag Ed by my ag teachers, Mrs. Fry and Mr. Swineford. I was very shy and lacked self-confidence when I entered high school, but FFA completely changed that. My ag teachers always pushed me out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to take opportunities in FFA, whether that was competing in an LDE or using a chainsaw. Mrs. Fry and Mr. Swineford saw potential in me that I didn’t see in myself at the time, and I don’t know where I would be without all of their support and motivation."

While following her passion for Ag Ed, Alyssa did not see herself at Penn State originally. "Penn State was not my first choice school. While I did get accepted into my first choice school, I realized that it was further from home than I could probably handle and it was way too expensive. Originally, I chose Penn State because it’s where my ag teachers went, it was reasonably priced (at least as reasonably priced as I could hope for), and it seemed like a safe choice. Today, I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else and I absolutely love Penn State. I’m a firm believer that everything in life works out as it should, and I think I am exactly where I am supposed to be." The experiences she gained at Penn State have shaped her as a person today. One of her favorite opportunities at Penn State was Domestic Study Away with LEAD Society to the state of Montana. She found it eye-opening to see the diversity of FFA programs on the other side of the country and visit National Parks on her bucket list.

The current pandemic of COVID-19 has challenged and pushed Alyssa to succeed this year. Her go to quarantine snack has been cucumbers with cream cheese and everything bagel seasoning and she has developed a hobby for puzzles as well. After quarantine she is most looking forward to attending concerts. COVID-19 has helped her to prepare for student teaching, Alyssa explains. "I’ve become a lot better at managing my time and holding myself accountable since quarantine. At the beginning of the shutdown, I found myself wasting a lot of time and not being very productive, so I had to find little ways to motivate myself and set goals and deadlines." In addition, she has been collecting a lot of virtual resources she can use with her students in an online environment. "One of the reasons that students sign up to take ag classes is for the hands-on aspect, so I know how frustrating it can be trying to learn topics like electrical wiring and small gas engines through a computer. By using online tools like simulators and games, I can keep my students engaged and still allow them to apply the theory that they are learning." Overall, COVID-19 has forced Alyssa to become a lot more self-disciplined as she moves towards her student teaching experience this spring. 

Alyssa will be heading to teach with Mr. Douglas Brown at Central Columbia High School. There are a lot of reasons why she chose Central Columbia as a cooperating center, but a few are the community support, facilities, and all of the wisdom that she can gain from having Mr. Brown as a cooperating teacher. In addition, she is most excited about meeting the students that she will be teaching and sharing her passion for agriculture and FFA with. One thing she is nervous for is teaching units on welding. She says, "it’s definitely a content area that I’m not as strong in."

After graduation and her pre-service teaching experience, she hopes to find a job teaching agriculture somewhere in central Pennsylvania. She has had a journey like no other while at Penn State and we are excited for the journey to follow for Alyssa. Best of luck student teaching and we look forward to all of great accomplishments you will continue to make. To keep up with Alyssa's teaching experiences, be sure to check out her blog at agventuresofalyssa.blogspot.com. 

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural & Extension Education

Class of 2023

Dylan Clark Selected as the 2020 AEE December Student of the Month!

    Each month the Center for Professional Personnel Development recognizes a student who shows outstanding involvement at Penn State, dedication to the Agricultural & Extension Education major, and leadership in organizations. For the month of December, we are proud to announce Dylan Clark as the Agricultural & Extension Education Student of the Month. Dylan is from Enon Valley, Pennsylvania where he grew up working on his families beef farm and attended Mohawk Jr.-Sr. High School. Dylan shares that he has been working in a butcher shop since he was 16. He explored his passions in agriculture through being involved in the Lawerance County 4-H Animal House Club for 11 years where Dylan showed his animals and was a member of Teen Council. In addition to his 4-H experiences, Dylan was actively a member of the Mohawk FFA where he attended National FFA Convention, exhibited at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, and assisted with the county event "Ag Encounter". Dylan said "this event was for all the 3rd graders in Lawrence county to get up close with agricultural practices that happens in our county.

    Dylan also attended Penn State Beaver for 3 semesters before arriving at University Park campus. When asking Dylan why he chose Penn State he responded, "I wanted to be at a college that was deeply rooted in Agriculture." Penn State was a great fit for Dylan as he can pursue his interest in agriculture and teaching as he plans to graduate with a bachelors degree in Agricultural & Extension Education in Spring 2022. His favorite Penn State course so far was International Agriculture (INTAG) 100 with Dr. Noel Habashy. You can find Dylan is his favorite place on campus to hang-out in the ASI Lobby, or at his favorite place to eat in State College, Uncle Chen's Chinese. If you did not know this about Dylan, his favorite sports team is the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Dylan stays busy at Penn State working in the Meats Laboratory, he is also the Vice-President of LEAD Society, and is a member of Delta Theta Sigma.

Dylan has a unique passion for agriculture that has brought him success throughout his Penn State journey and as he continues to live out his goals he shares, "I want to be able to share my knowledge of agriculture with the next generation of agriculture leaders as well as continue to learn more about the agriculture industry myself. Being a part of 4-H and FFA was an amazing experience for me and made me who I am today, and I want to be able to continue to excite students about Agriculture for years to come." As you can tell, Dylan is determined to be a great Agriculture Educator and with this mindset and his experiences at Penn State he is preparing himself well.

    One of Dylan's favorite quotes is by Kenny Chesney "I live to love and laugh a lot and that's all I need". Congratulations again Dylan on being recognized as the December Student of the Month, keep up the great work! To keep up with Dylan follow him on his social media (Instagram: @mr_showcow63 or Twitter: @mrshowcow). 

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural & Extension Education

Class of 2023

2020 November AEE Student of the Month: Gabrielle Kriley

The Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to congratulate the 2020 November Agricultural & Extension Education Student of the Month: Gabrielle Kriley! We recognize students each month who show outstanding involvement and growth as a student of the major. This month Gabrielle Kriley of Rural Valley, Pennsylvania, who is a junior majoring in Agricultural & Extension Education, and was chosen as she has excelled throughout her journey at Penn State.

Gabrielle graduated from Lenape Technical School with a focus in  Natural Resources Technology before coming to Penn State, where she attended the New Kensington Campus for 2 years. During high school, she was involved in the Lenape Technical School FFA where she served leadership positions and attended leadership conferences. She was also greatly involved in the Ruff Riders 4-H Club which established her love for 4-H, and she was a part of the Armstrong Teen Leadership Council. This year she has arrived at Penn State, University Park and she has enjoyed gaining new experiences in Happy Valley. Some of those would include her favorite place to hang out on campus which is The HUB, and her favorite place to eat at, Quaker Steak and Lube. In addition to these favorites, her hobbies include fishing, swimming, hiking, horseback riding, spending time with friends & family, and snuggling her dog Peanut. The best PSU class she has taken so far was Biology 220W which focused on the environment through several hands-on labs and even encouraged her to conduct her own research on creating a pollinator garden. 

Penn State was made for Gabrielle as she shares it was the best school to get a degree combining education and agriculture. "I was raised to be active in 4-H, which was strongly supported by Penn State. Through 4-H, I had many opportunities to see the campus and meet various staff and faculty members. I also had the amazing opportunity to attend the Pennsylvania School for Excellence in the Agricultural Sciences which is the program that provided the opportunity to experience college classes in person while also providing the opportunity to meet faculty, staff, the campus, all while making new friends who also have the goal of one day attending college. This made my love for Penn State grow to the point this was my dream school and I would do whatever it would take to get accepted into the university!" She has found her home at Penn State and is thankful for the opportunities she has been provided with.

The experiences she gained while at the New Kensington Campus should not go unnoticed as she has shared the positive impact it has made on her life. "I absolutely loved the beautiful campus! At that campus, I met my best friend, and my life has been flipped around for the better. If I were to tell you about my experiences at that campus, we could be here for days. I truly had an amazing experience at my commonwealth campus." While at New Kensington she was involved in THON, the Student Government Association, a work-study job in the Biology Department, and a research study. These opportunities have helped shaped her future of becoming an Agricultural Educator.

One day wanting to Teach Ag in the classroom Gabrielle shares her passion for agriculture. "My goal is to be a teacher that impacts my students in a positive manner, just like mine had done. I had so many amazing teachers and what better way to honor their impact than by becoming one? Not only will I become a normal teacher, teaching something that I like, but rather by teaching our future generation of agriculture, I will be teaching on a topic that I love! If we need food, clothes, or shelter, we will need agriculture! Once I reach retirement, I intend to move to another country to serve as a missionary, teaching about agriculture in foreign countries to help them where their agriculture may be struggling. If I have the knowledge, I will share it with the world!"

Gabrielle also shared some unique parts about herself that help to keep her motivated as a student and person. "I am a student who has been diagnosed with ADD and Dyslexia. Life can be very challenging when you have things that are a roadblock, but I have learned that anything can be a roadblock, but it takes a special amount of determination to make that roadblock into a pebble. My disabilities have not defined me within my personal or academic life and they never will!" As you can tell, this young lady does not let many things set her back from working to achieve her goals and aspirations.

Gabrielle has accomplished so much and we are proud of how far she has come and excited to see where life continues to take her after Penn State. As she plans to Teach Ag in the classroom, her experiences in 4-H, at Penn State and many others will serve her well. Best of luck on the rest of your journey year. To check out more about Gabrielle, follow her Instagram handle @gabrielle_mae128!

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural & Extension Education

Class of 2023

Jenna Kibbe is Selected as the Agricultural & Extension Education September's Student of the Month

 Although a little late, WE ARE proud to recognize the Agricultural and Extension Education Student of the Month for September. This month's recipient is Jenna Kibbe of Findley Lake, New York. Jenna spent time serving the New York FFA Association as the 2017-2018 New York FFA State Treasurer. Jenna attended Penn State Behrend in Erie for a year and enjoyed her time there before coming to University Park as a sophomore. Currently, Jenna is a junior majoring in Agricultural and Extension Education with minors in Spanish and International Agriculture.

So far, Jenna's favorite classes at Penn State have been Horticulture 150N, Plant 220, and Ballroom Dancing! Her involvement with clubs includes LEAD Society where she serves on the officer team, and she is also involved in the Spanish Emersion Club and Salt Company. She loves to represent Penn State and has the Minnesota Vikings as one of her favorite sports team. You can find Jenna hanging out on campus at the Arboretum, Millennium Science Complex or at Old Main. Some of her favorite places to eat in State College are Sower Harvest Café and Big Bowl Noodle House.

If you know Jenna, you know her love for her dog, Ruger a German Shepard. Speaking of cool facts about Jenna, she has also gone hunting in 3 states and deep sea fished in the Atlantic Ocean. Her favorite quote is "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7. Jenna has greatly impressed us with her efforts both inside and outside the classroom to create more opportunities for students in the Agricultural and Extension Education major.

A program that Jenna has been working to organize alongside Nicole Guise through the Teach Ag Avengers at Penn State, is the Penn State Owl Pal Program. The goals of this program are to:

1. To connect AEE Commonwealth Campus students to AEE University Park students, faculty, and staff
2. To decrease the stresses associated with transitioning campuses
1. To provide a unique student perspective of the AEE major

The purpose of the Owl Pal Program is to help the transition from a branch campus of Penn State to University Park less difficult for students. As Jenna was in these student's places she shares "Being a transfer student who found the adjustment difficult,  there was simple knowledge about State College that I wish I would have known, so Nicole and I worked together this summer to develop the list of topics that we felt would help students not only adjust to college and academics, but also life in State College." If you or someone you know is a AEE major at Penn State or planning to become one you can reach out to Jenna Kibbe at jok5448@psu.edu. so that she can add your name to the list! This program starts the first year you arrive at any Penn State campus and will last through when you come to University Park to help get students adjusted to campus life.

We believe this program will serve students well as it provides more connections for students directly to the major through helping them find personal connections and lasting relationships as they go throughout their Penn State journey's. We appreciate all of the work Jenna has put into organizing this program and we can't wait to see the positive outcomes! Be sure to keep up with Jenna by following her on Instagram @jennakibbe and on Twitter @JennaKibbe

 

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural & Extension Education

Class of 2023

From Connecticut to Pennsylvania Amanda Gagne is Hired at Penn Manor Teaching Agriculture!

Ms. Gagne comes to Pennsylvania Agricultural Education all the way from Bristol Connecticut! She has recently accepted a position at the Penn Manor High School in Millersville, Pennsylvania. Amanda will begin teaching a variety of classes including, ag businesses, introduction to animal science, introduction to ag mechanics, welding 1, and vet science 1&2 at this five-teacher program in January. Penn Manor is home to 367 active FFA members that Amanda is super excited to meet!

Amanda completed her student teaching internship at the Conrad Weiser Area School District in both the middle and high school.  She taught both seventh and eighth-grade agricultural science, introduction in agricultural science, and current agricultural topics.

While student teaching, she gained valuable teaching method techniques and skills she can’t wait to put into action in her new classroom!  One unique teaching experience Amanda had the chance to take part in while student teaching was completing a dissection on a guinea pig to determine the cause of death during a veterinary science unit! 

When asked for one quote Amanda would like to share with future agricultural educators Amanda responded with, “If it doesn’t scare you, then it’s not challenging enough.” She explained that jumping into agricultural education changed her life dramatically forever.  She also encourages students who are on the fence about teach ag to give it a shot, “the worst thing that happens is you learn something new and move on.”

Congratulation Amanda on starting your career at Penn Manor! We are all very excited to have you back in Pennsylvania and can’t wait to watch you grow! We know you will positively impact your new students!  Good Luck! Keep up with Amanda on social media @ Agagne08.  

Killiann George 

CPPD Student Worker 

Agricultural & Extension Education 

Class of 2023