Student Spotlight: Killiann George receives PA Landscape and Nursery Association Foundation Scholarship

Killiann George of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was named a Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association Foundation Scholarship recipient. The PLNA Foundation Scholarship Program was established to assist students pursuing degrees in horticulture-oriented fields. To enhance the relationship between students and the landscape and nursery industry, the PLNA Foundation recognizes the effort of outstanding students in each of Pennsylvania's colleges and universities, including the Pennsylvania State University, offering horticulture nursery production, landscape contracting, or a strongly related field. Each recipient receives a certificate and cash award to be applied to tuition, books, or educational supplies. 

Killiann is majoring in Agricultural and Extension Education at Penn State, University Park, and pursuing two minors in International Agriculture and Political Science. Her future career plans include becoming a formal Agricultural Educator or starting a career in writing and advocating for agricultural legislative policy. One day she hopes to write an agricultural-related curriculum impacting future generations of agricultural leaders. While in college, Killiann has also been involved in LEAD Society, and Collegiate Farm Bureau.

One day Killiann was scrolling through social media when she found this scholarship opportunity which sparked her interest in applying for the scholarship. She shared"This scholarship aligned with my educational and professional goals so it felt like a perfect opportunity to pursue." She spent time filling out an application, writing an essay about her future goals and her current classes, in addition to creating a resume, and a Faculty Advisor Form. She expressed her gratitude for receiving this scholarship by saying "Horticulture is a HUGE section of the agricultural industry and having folks who support the next generation is super important. I am super grateful to the association for their support and hope to be able to encourage future students to take part in this thriving sector of agriculture."

WE ARE so proud of you, Killiann! If you or someone you know is interested in more scholarship opportunities, be sure to stay tuned in to the Weekly TeachAg! Email Blasts with news and updates, as well as the College of Agricultural Sciences website, and Office of Student Aid.

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2023

February 2017 Program of the Month: Columbia Montour AVTS

All across the great state of Pennsylvania there are 145 school districts that have Agriculture Education courses and the FFA program. Each month we like to highlight a chapter that has stood out from the rest of the chapters. February's program of the month goes to Columbia Montour Area Vocational-Technical School or otherwise know as the Columbia Montour A.V.T.S. Chapter!

Background Knowledge
Columbia Montour A.V.T.S has a single teacher Agriculture Program located in Bloomsburg, PA. The first agriculture program was started in 1969 at the inception of the CTC. Two teachers had taught the program prior to Miss Appleman. John McAllister was the first teacher of the program then Tim Mauk took over the program and retired in 2014. This is Miss Appleman's third year teaching the program at Columbia Montour A.V.T.S.

Class Instruction

The school is a comprehensive career and technical center which means, after the students initial freshman year they select a vocational program and commit their last three years to that specific program. The CTC offers seventeen vocational training programs, in addition to the comprehensive academic course load.  Students attend Columbia Montour A.V.T.S. from seven sending school districts. Miss Appleman's agriculture program operates on the Applied Horticulture CIP code but she also educates the students in the following areas: Advanced Botany, Advanced Soil Science, Plant Propagation Methods, Safe Tractor and Machinery Operations, Landscape Drafting and Design, Masonry and Hardscape, Small Gas Engines, Introduction to Plumbing and Electricity, Greenhouse Productions Sustainable Technologies (Aquaponics and Hydroponics), Integrated Pest Management, Turfgrass Science, and Introduction to Leadership and Public Speaking. The learning labs consist of two greenhouses, an aquaponics system, a regulation sized putting green, a small forested area, ag mechanics shop, computer drafting room, and raised garden beds. The program has an annual fish fry with Tilapia from their aquaponics system to culminate the year. They also have a winter sale in December to sell the 1000+ poinsettias they grow, in addition to the wreaths and other greenery items the students make. Columbia Montour A.V.T.S. holds an annual spring bedding sale in May to sell the 10,000+ plants the students raise in the two greenhouses.

Supervised Agriculture Experiences (SAE's)

All of Miss Appleman's students are FFA members with an active AET account, and all students by the end of their sophomore year have a SAE, and a minimum of 15 hours of community service. The school also offers a SAE course for students who have a passion for agriculture and the FFA, but are in different vocational training programs such as welding and carpentry. Her juniors and seniors annually engage in a two week internship in March which they all keep records on an Exploratory SAE, and most of the students maintain a Paid Placement SAE. The school often encourages the students to go out on Co-Op the last semester of their junior year and throughout their senior year, if they are eligible. Miss Appleman's students work at local greenhouses, nurseries, landscape companies, and floral ships during their Co-Op which feeds right into their SAE programs. 

FFA Program

This year Miss Appleman had one Keystone Degree recipient and seven FFA Jacket scholarship recipients at Mid-Winter Convention. Last year she had ten students receive their Keystone Degree. The chapter always attends Fall Leadership Conference (FLC), Farm Show, and State Activities Week. The students are also involved in competing at the Bloomsburg Fair every year. They are also very active in the community, helping maintain the Bloomsburg Fountain and the Columbia County Veteran's Memorial Park. The chapter also buys a pig from the county fair annually, and donates the meat to families in need around the schools community. Some recent successes of the Columbia Montour A.V.T.S chapter include: first place in the area Horse Evaluation CDE, first and second place in the area Agriculture Sales CDE.  This past year, a student also qualified for State Activities Week at Penn State University for the Creed Speaking LDE.

Sounds like Miss Appleman keeps herself busy investing in the future of agriculture at Columbia Montour A.V.T.S.  Congratulations on being named Program of the Month for February!

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog

Luke Kerstetter

Student Blogger

Twitter Handle: @lmkerstetter96

2020 Agricultural Education Student Teacher 

Mikaela Hermstedt named Shinoda Scholar of the Year #studentsuccess

“Believe deep down in your heart that you're destined to do great things.”

Mikaela Hermstedt named Shinoda Scholar of the Year!

These are the famous words of Joe Paterno that every ‘Nittany Lion’ exemplifies throughout their journey at the Pennsylvania State University. Mikaela Hermstedt, a senior majoring in Plant Sciences, believes that her journey has allowed and prepared her to do great things in her future.

Mikaela has put much time and effort into her academics as a Shreyers Honors College student, and as an officer in multiple university clubs and organizations. Through this hard work and effort she has had the opportunity to work with the Penn State botany greenhouses and complete a Nursery Management Internship at Longwood Gardens. All while serving as President for Collegiate FFA, President for Agricultural Student Council, Treasurer for International Association of Agricultural Students, and a Team Member for Student Organization Resource Team. From these experiences she was able to build multiple skills that she plans to use in her future in commercial greenhouse production of flowering plants.

Mikaela’s hard work and work ethic is what has earned her The Shinoda Foundation highest honor as the Shinoda Scholar of the Year! One professor recommending her for the award noted, “I would rank Mikaela as one of my top students in the past 10 years at Penn State in terms of work ethic, but also in terms of attention to detail, cooperative spirit and excellent communication skills.”

The Shinoda Foundation’s sole purpose is to provide scholarship assistance to deserving students who have chosen to prepare for careers in the flower industry. It is only through education that the interests and potential of young people can be developed in order to meet the expanding demands of the floral industry. “These students represent horticulture’s best and brightest,” says Bob Otsuka, president of the Foundation. “It’s our industry’s duty to grow our future, and we’re proud to play a small role.”

Mikaela is truly one of those deserving students! She is destined to do great things to help grow the future of the floral industry.

Congratulations Mikaela Hermstedt!

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog.

Halee Wasson

Student Blogger

Twitter Handle: @wasson_halee

2018 Agriculture Education Student Teacher