October 2021 Agricultural and Extension Education Student of the Month: Dylan Clark

Each month a student is recognized within the Agricultural and Extension Education program as Student of the Month for their hard work and dedication to their education, major, and passions. This October, the Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to recognize senior, Dylan Clark, as the Agricultural and Extension Education Student of the Month. 

Dylan comes to us from Enon Valley, Pennsylvania where he graduated from Mohawk Junior Senior High School in Lawrence County. Dylan is no stranger to agriculture, he grew up on his family's beef farm and was an active member of the Lawrence County 4-H Animal House Club for 11 years, and Teen Council for 3 years. In high school, Dylan was a member the Mohawk FFA Chapter for 4 years where he participated in many events and was even a part of the square dancing team!

Before arriving at University Park campus, Dylan spent 3 semesters at the Penn State Beaver commonwealth campus. Dylan chose Penn State because he wanted to attend a college deeply rooted in agriculture. While attending Penn State he has been involved in a variety of student organizations and experiences. He currently serves as the Public Relations Director for LEAD Society at Penn State, is a member of Delta Theta Sigma, and lives and works at the Meats Laboratory. Dylan's favorite hang-out place on campus is in the Ferguson Building. Some of Dylan's other favorite things include Wings Over and the Pittsburgh Steelers team.

Dylan is excited to share his passion for agriculture with others. He states "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 agricultural 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." This coming spring semester, Dylan will be starting his student teaching journey at Wilmington Area High School with Ms. Joanna McKelvey. 

One of Dylan's favorite quotes is by Mac Miller, "No matter where life takes me, find me with a smile." We are incredibly proud of Dylan and his accomplishments here at Penn State! To keep up with Dylan on social media be sure to follow him on Instagram @mr_showcow63 and on Twitter @clarkncompany.

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural & Extension Education

Class of 2023

September 2021 Agricultural & Extension Education Student of the Month- Jenna Kibbe!

The Center for Professional Personnel Development is excited to recognize Jenna Kibbe, a senior studying Agricultural and Extension Education as the 2021 September Student of the Month! Jenna is from Findley Lake, New York and a graduate of Clymer Central School. During her senior year of high school, she was elected to serve as the New York FFA State Treasurer in 2017-2018. She attended Penn State Behrend for her first year of undergraduate studies. Jenna is a senior preparing to embark on her student teaching experience this spring where she will be teaching at Gettysburg Area High School under Ms. Jenna Timmons and Mrs. Laura Kennedy. Additionally, Jenna is pursuing two minors along with her degree in both Spanish and International Agriculture. 

While attending Penn State, Jenna has been involved in a variety of student organizations including LEAD Society, Spanish Immersion Club, and SALT. She has taken advantage of student employment opportunities including supervising concessions at Beaver Stadium, welcoming the newest Penn State students as a New Student Orientation Leader in 2020, and serving as an Agriculture Education Avenger over the past few years.

Jenna's passion for agriculture was sparked from her family, where agriculture is a deep tradition. She shares that "My grandfather and dad were both active members of FFA and were involved in showing livestock and competing at all levels in the state. Although I have never shown an animal a day in my life, I grew up with the love of gardening and wildlife management. From helping my dad with his food plots to selling my vegetables at the end of my driveway in the summer, I always enjoyed being outside and enjoying God’s beauty through my involvement in the agriculture industry. My passion only grew as I got older, so I challenged myself by working on a horse farm starting at the bottom by cleaning stalls to eventually being a trail guide."

In her free time, Jenna enjoys playing basketball, hiking, reading books and watching movies! You can find Jenna on campus at her favorite spots which are the Creamery and Arboretum. Her favorite places to eat in State College are Plaza and Rey Azteca, which she said are some of the best comfort foods! 

As Jenna spends the fall semester preparing for her student teaching experience, she is hoping to make a lasting impact on students and the program at Gettysburg Area High School. She states "I am looking forward to teaching classes in Animal Science, Horticulture, Landscape Design and Introduction to Agriculture. One of my main goals for student teaching is to make impactful connections with my students. I hope inspire my students to become lifelong learners and advocates for the agriculture industry. I also hope to help guide them out of their comfort zone to develop leadership skills to become better leaders in the future. Another one of my goals is to be a positive and active member of the community by making a meaningful difference. Whether it’s through service learning, donations or community service projects, I hope to strengthen the relations between community members and my students to make a positive impact. My final goal is to better my skills as a teacher and leader. I want to be proactive in learning from my cooperating teachers, administration and students." Jenna has been a great example of a what being a good leader is like to her colleagues and friends. We know she will accomplish great things throughout her student teaching experience. 

Jenna wanted to share a piece of advice for underclassmen. "For any underclassmen reading this, I would recommend that you spend your time in college exploring different passions and take advantage of every opportunity that you can! It is great to find passions that bring you joy and comfort you when you are stressed in college. It is easy to be overwhelmed and overwork yourself like I did. However, when I felt like my stress levels were getting high, I always had my few passions/hobbies that helped me refresh and enjoy my time here at Penn State!" We are proud to see how Jenna has grown over the past few years at Penn State and excited to see where her Ag Ed journey continues to take her. Keep up with Jenna by following her on Instagram or Twitter @JennaKibbe. 

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural & Extension Education

Class of 2023

2021 LEAD Society Teach Ag! Essay Contest - Finalist Annoucement

The time has come to announce the four finalists for the 2021 LEAD Society Teach Ag! Essay Contest! These "final four" participants will be recognized during the in-person session at the annual Pennsylvania FFA State Convention. This year, we had twelve participants, representing five schools from across the state of Pennsylvania.

Participants were able to step into the role of an agriculture teacher for a day and instruct a class on a topic of their choosing. Following the 2021 contest theme, "INSPIRE", students were asked to include in their lessons a connection to how agricultural education can be used to create passion and interest in the agriculture industry. After their teaching experience, participants were then asked to write a 400-600 word essay on the prompt "How can agricultural education be used to inspire students about the future of agriculture?" as well as a 300-word reflection of their teaching experience. Students also submitted their lesson plans and a video from their teaching experience that were included as part of the competition evaluation process. 


We are proud of this contest and its ability to allow students to experience what it is like to be an agricultural educator. Each participant (and their designated advisor for this contest!) will receive a LEAD Society Teach Ag! Essay Contest T-shirt.

Our four finalists will be receiving gift cards for the National FFA Shop and the first place winner will receive free registration to a 2021 FFA event of their choosing!

And now, in no particular order, we are proud to announce the four finalists of the 2021 LEAD Society Teach Ag! Essay Contest:

Madison Copenhaver

Cedar Crest High School 

Cedar Crest FFA

Agriscience Teacher: Mr. Phil Haussener

Michael Lewis

Bald Eagle High School 

Bald Eagle FFA

Agriscience Teacher: Mr. Todd Biddle

Tre Rosa

Pequea Valley High School

Pequea Valley FFA

Agriscience Teacher: Mr. Doug Masser 

Mackenzie Thomas

Cedar Crest High School

Cedar Crest FFA

Agriscience Teacher: Ms. Claudia Brady

Congratulations to these finalists and all participants! The final results will be announced at the in-person session of the Pennsylvania FFA State Convention on Friday, June 11th. Congratulations all!

Dylan Clark

Public Relations Director

LEAD Society

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

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

2019 LEAD Society Teach Ag! Essay Contest - Finalist Announcement

The time has come to announce the four finalists for the 2019 LEAD Society Teach Ag! Essay Contest! These "final four" participants will be recognized on-stage at the 90th Pennsylvania FFA State Convention. This year, we had thirteen participants, representing nine schools from across the state of Pennsylvania.

Participants were able to step into the role of an agriculture teacher for a day and instruct a class on a topic of their choosing. Following the 2019 contest theme, "To Infinity and Beyond", students were asked to include in their lessons a connection to how agriculture is working to meet growing global demands by the year 2050. After their teaching experience, participants were then asked to write a 300-500 word essay on the prompt "How can agricultural education meet the growing global demands in the year 2050?"


We are proud of this contest and its ability to allow students to experience what it is like to be an agricultural educator. Each participant will also receive a LEAD Society Teach Ag! Essay Contest T-shirt and is invited to attend an ice cream social during the Pennsylvania FFA State Convention.

Our four finalists will be receiving gift cards for the National FFA Shop and the first place winner will receive free registration to a 2019 FFA event of their choosing!

And now, in no particular order, we are proud to announce the four finalists of the 2019 LEAD Society Teach Ag! Essay Contest:

Cheyenne Bastian-Brown 

Canton High School 

Canton FFA

Agriscience Teacher: Mr. Thomas Hojnowksi

Jessica Herr

Lampeter-Strasburg High School 

Garden Spot FFA

Agriscience Teachers: Ms. K. Janae McMichael and Ms. Holly Oberholtzer

Amanda Hamilton

Cumberland Valley High School

Cumberland Valley FFA

Agriscience Teachers: Ms. Jeanne Case and Ms. Darla Romberger

Brandon Bixler

Garden Spot High School

Grassland FFA

Agriscience Teachers: Ms. Ashley Pierson and Ms. Katherine Ranck

Congratulations to these finalists and all participants! The final results will be announced at the opening session of the Pennsylvania FFA State Convention on Tuesday, June 11th. Congratulations all!

Thomas Gabel

Public Relations Director

LEAD Society

#PSUAgEd22

Twitter Handle: @gabel_thomas

82nd Annual Agriculture and Extension Education Banquet

On Tuesday April 24, 2018, LEAD Society hosted the 82nd Annual Agriculture and Extension Education Banquet. We had special guests that had attended which included; Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences Dr. Richard Roush, Associate Dean Dr. Tracy Hoover, keynote speaker Joshua Hersl, PA FFA State Officers Justin Kurtz, Thomas Gabel, and Nathan Moyer. 

Ali Emig, Sara Lang, Alicia Gates,
Megan Royer

Joshua Hersl

Throughout the night students were recognized for their accomplishments throughout the year. The students that were recognized were from each academic standing year. Our outstanding freshman was Megan Royer #psuaged21, sophomore Alicia Gates #psuaged20, junior Sara Lang #psuaged19, and senior Ali Emig. 

Alpha Tau Alpha Initiates

Alpha Tau Alpha, the National Professional Honorary Agricultural Education Organization, held an initiation ceremony for those students who qualified. Those students who were initiated were; Kaitlin Liszka, Rachel Bloom, Ryan Rupert, Macy Fisher, Angela Becker, Allyson Balmer, Lisa Boltz, Olivia Aten, and Karlie Wright. 

#psuaged18

The seniors had also gave a small presentation and thank you's to Dr. Daniel Foster, Dr. John Ewing, Dr. Kevin Curry, Ms. Terra Ingram, Ms. Beth Mathie, Mr. Jon Seaman, and Ms. Tiffany Morey. To end the night Dean Richard Roush had given his kind address and thank you for being invited to the banquet.

LEAD Society Leadership Team

#psuaged19

We thank everyone who had attended the banquet and hope to see you next year at the 83rd Annual Agriculture and Extension Education Banquet.

LEAD Society

Luke Kerstetter

Communications Team Member

Twitter Handle: @lmkerstetter96

2020 Agriculture Education Student Teacher