Sarah Beaver is June AEE Student of the Month

 AEE June Student of the Month

The Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to recognize Sarah Beaver as the June Student of the Month for her outstanding efforts in her academics and extracurriculars. Sarah is majoring in Agricultural and Extension Education with a minor in International Agriculture and will graduate in May of 2027. She chose Penn State because, "Penn State felt like home the first time I visited. It was always my dream school but I never thought I would get into University Park but with a lot of hard work and dedication here I am! Once I knew that I wanted to do AG education I knew Penn State was where I wanted to go." 

Sarah is a 2023 graduate of Otto-Eldred High School where she was involved in the Otto-Eldred FFA Chapter which is the only Chapter in McKean County. During her time in FFA she served as Vice President and President. From being an officer, she learned, "skills like communication, outreach, and perseverance. During my time, I attended local and area events, state conferences, and conventions, building leadership skills and networking. I also worked on various Supervised Agricultural Experience projects ranging from placement to exploratory. By my senior year, I was able to earn my State Keystone Degree at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. I am very grateful for my time in PA FFA and look forward to continuing to be a part of it in the future." 

On campus, Sarah is involved in the University Park Undergraduate Association as the College of Agricultural Science Representative. She also is a Student Senator in the College of Agricultural Sciences Faculty Senate. Additional she is an Ag Student Council Executive Team member, an Ag Advocate, and a part of the Global Orientation in Agricultural Learning Program Cohort 3. She also holds a position as an intern for the Global Teach AG Network. Her favorite class on campus is INTAG 100N. Sarah enjoys hanging out in the Ferguson Building and going to SNAP Pizza with her friends. Her hobbies include being outside
and spending time with her friends and family. Sarah's favorite sports team is the Bills. An interesting fact about Sarah is that she is related to James A. Beaver, the guy that Beaver Stadium is named after.

Sarah had the opportunity to be involved in the Global Orientation in Agricultural Learning (GOALs) program this past year. She traveled to the World Food Prize in the fall, learned about different aspects of global agriculture, and got to teach on this subject for a week in the spring. Sarah says, "I was fortunate enough to be a part of the GOALs program this year. This program was the highlight of my first year here at PSU. I learned so much, met many amazing people, and experienced things that have transformed my understanding of agricultural education. I am so thankful for the opportunities this program has provided me."

Her agricultural interest and passion surround that of agricultural education, global agriculture issues, food security, and agricultural policy. In the future, she hopes to use her degree from Penn State to become a high school agricultural science teacher and impart her knowledge on students. 

Sarah's favorite quote:
"Keep planting and sowing, living and knowing: Beautiful things take time, and that is okay."
- Morgan Harper Nichols

Follow Sarah on Social Media
@sa.r.ah_beaver

Erica Teagarden

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2026

Welcome Mia Sullivan to the CPPD and GTAN Team

 Penn State Teach Ag! would like to welcome Mia Sullivan as the newest Center for Professional Personnel Development team member. She is currently the Global Teach Ag Network Teacher-in-Residence and assists with PSU Teacher Education. 

Mia says, "Penn State was not on my radar until I participated in the GLAG19" which was put on by the Global Teach Ag Network. At the time she was a secondary agriculture teacher trying to better herself for her students. In 2021, Mia started thinking about pursuing her doctorate in agricultural education in hopes of teaching at the collegiate level. "I had already had 1.5 (COVID was weird) student teachers in my classroom and thoroughly enjoyed working with them. It inspired me to play a more active role in preparing the future of our profession". After a doctoral assistantship in Agricultural and Extension Education/ Education, Development, and Community Engagement was posted by Penn State. "And that would be the moment I put my hand on the doorknob to walk through the Penn State Ag Ed door. My BS (University of Kentucky) and MS (Tennessee State University) were both blue/white and had feline mascots so it just made sense to keep with that and become a Nittany Lion", Mia shared.

Before beginning her journey at Penn State, Mia taught agriculture in Tennessee for nine years. Throughout her teaching experience, she taught at four different schools, two of them being her high school and middle school alma mater. Mia attended Eagleton College & Career Academy in middle school and the current principal was her high school ag teacher. The middle school transitioned to a 6-12 grade program and her principal had planned to add agricultural education. Mia says, "He asked if I'd be interested in being the ag teacher and starting this brand new 8-12 program. This experience holds a special place in my heart because the community is the same one that raised me. The students there are the same students that I grew up with. It was such an honor to work with my principal and the supportive community in creating this amazing opportunity for these kids." 

In her role with GTAN (Global Teach Ag Network), she facilitates learning and develops a curriculum for the GTAN program for undergraduate students: GOALs. This is a virtual course that includes 18 students from Penn State, the University of Idaho, Kentucky State University, North Carolina A&T University, Tuskegee University, and the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore. She also assists Dr. Foster in the AEE 412 Methods of Teaching in Ag & Env. to prepare those eight students for their student teaching experience in the Spring. 

Mia has been a CASE Lead Teacher for three years and is certified in AFNR, ABF, ASA, ASP, NRE, and AgX. She did international travel as an undergrad in 2010 to Gisha, Scotland. This past summer she traveled to Uganda with the GTAN Teach Ag Uganda experience funded through the USDE Fulbright Hayes Program. Her plans are to continue with international travel and research and develop students to become future agriculture educators and professionals.  

In her free time, Mia loves working on restoring cast iron, canning and preserving food, and cheering for the Tennessee Volunteers Football Team on Saturday. She has been married for 11 years to her husband Joe and they have a Great Dane named Charlie Brown and eight chickens back in Tennessee. 

Connect with Mia

Email: mcs6395@psu.edu

LinkedIn

Erica Teagarden

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2026