December 2021 Agricultural and Extension Education Student of the Month: Taylor Halbleib

Each month, the Center for Professional Personnel Development recognizes a student within the Agricultural and Extension Education major for their hard work and dedication. The Student of the Month for December 2021 has been named Ms. Taylor Halbleib! Taylor is majoring in Agricultural and Extension Education with a minor in Equine Science. Taylor is from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, where she attended Elizabethtown Area High School. 

While in high school Taylor's Ag Ed journey was sparked. She shares, "My passion for agriculture was sparked during my sophomore year in high school when I took my first agriculture education class with Mr. Mark Anderson. Having not grown up with an agricultural background, these courses opened my eyes to the vast, innovative, ever-changing industry of agriculture. Additionally, I was challenged to step out of my comfort zone and given a place to belong in the Elizabethtown FFA Chapter. These experiences had me falling in love with the agriculture industry and the National FFA Organization and helped me to realize that I wanted to positively impact students the way that the industry had impacted me." After starting her agricultural journey, Taylor did not miss a beat! She was not only an active member of her FFA chapter but she served as chapter president and participated in many Leadership and Career Development Events. Taylor was so inspired during her high school FFA experiences that she went on to serve the Pennsylvania State Association as the 2017-2018 FFA State Secretary. 

Taylor started her Penn State journey at the Harrisburg commonwealth campus for one year. She was a part of the PaSSS program which allowed her to take courses in the summer before and after starting her first year which allowed her to transfer to the University Park campus as a second-year student. While at Penn State Harrisburg, Taylor had the opportunity to be a part of the English Equestrian Team and rode horses competitively in the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association. 

After arriving at the University Park campus, Taylor quickly became involved in a variety of clubs and took on many different leadership positions at Penn State and beyond. She has served as the National President for Alpha Tau Alpha (ATA), President of Ag Student Council, Vice-President of LEAD Society at Penn State, a member of the Coaly Honors Society, and a member of Gamma Sigma Delta Honors Society. Her favorite class at Penn State is the Horse Handling and Training class (AEE 317) taught by Mr. Brain Egan. Taylor said "This class allowed us to study horse behavior and put that knowledge into practice as we worked to train the two-year-old horses that were sold in the 2021 Penn State Quarter Horse Sale. We were hands-on in every class session and watching the horses learn as well as learning from the horses was such a rewarding experience." While on campus, Taylor also works two jobs including working at the Penn State horse barns and as a student worker and Teach Ag Avenger for the Center for Professional Personnel Development. Additionally, Taylor has held two summer internships, one with the Lancaster County 4-H Extension services, and the second with the Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center. 

In her free time, Taylor enjoys riding horses, playing games with her friends, reading books, including her favorite series- Harry Potter, and watching movies. You can always find Taylor in her favorite place on campus to hang out in the Ferguson building or at the Berkey Creamery. One interesting thing about Taylor is that she is a Farm Credit Foundation Scholarship. Taylor is preparing for her student teaching experience at Cumberland Valley High School with Ms. Darla Romberger and Ms. Jeanne Case. She is excited to embark on this experience as she stated "As a Student Teacher I hope to not only develop my content knowledge and learn how to create a rigorous classroom environment, but I also hope to learn how to serve every student I encounter with unique relationships, variable instruction, and a diverse array of opportunities inside and outside of the classroom. Furthermore, I am excited to explore who I am as an educator. Ms. Darla Romberger has an incredibly intelligent and confident presence in the classroom, and I hope to bring those characteristics into my teaching style as I learn from her."

Taylor's token of advice for underclassmen is to "take advantage of opportunities that fuel your passions. This major is challenging and living in those opportunities that remind you why you fell in love with agriculture, FFA, and education fills your cup and motivates you to maintain a growth mindset as you work to become an outstanding educator."  WE ARE so excited to see what lies ahead in Taylor's Ag Ed journey, and we know she will continue to accomplish great things! Keep up with Taylor's experiences by following her Twitter @TaylorHalbleib and on Instagram @halbleib01

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2023

Elizabethtown High School Teacher Named Ag Educator of The Year: Mark Anderson

Mark Anderson, a High School Agriculture Educator, at Elizabethtown High School in Lancaster County was named Pennsylvania’s Ag Educator of the Year as part of the 2019-2020 Golden Owl Awards. “Nationwide created the Golden Owl Award in 2018 to bring attention to the growing need for agricultural teachers in this country,” said Nationwide’s president of agribusiness, Brad Liggett.

Mr. Mark Anderson stood among four outstanding Agriculture Educator finalist from across the state in 4 different regions. In Pennsylvania, there were 98 nominations for 66 Agriculture teachers. There was a special surprise presentation for each of the 4 finalist as they were named a Golden Owl Award recipient in January. He was then selected to earn the Ag Educator of the Year Award for his profound impact on students, the community, and education that is recognized by many community members, colleagues, and supporters. In addition to this recognition, Mr. Anderson has recently been awarded from the Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators (PAAE) the Teacher Mentor Award Recipient for 2020. 

He has been recognized for this achievement by the Pennsylvania FFA Association, Nationwide Insurance, and The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. The award was given to Mr. Anderson and includes $3,000 to expand new educational opportunities to his program and students at Elizabethtown High School. Nationwide has also proudly invested $5,000 in each participating state’s FFA organization to further support aspiring agriculture professionals. Please help us in congratulating Mr. Mark Anderson on his achievement of receiving the 2020 Pennsylvania Ag Teacher of the Year Award!

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker 

Agricultural & Extension Education

Class of 2023

PAAE Outstanding Program Award Recipient Elizabethtown Area High School

Agriculture is a rich part of American culture, carrying great importance in our country's history and future. By continuing to establish outstanding agriculture programs in our communities, we are not only allowing our students to engage in agriculture on a local level, but also helping them to make connections with this American tradition while creating solutions for future challenges in the agriculture industry. In recognition of unique programs that facilitate the growth of future agriculturists, the Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators (PAAE) chooses one program each year who exemplifies the importance of this industry to future generations. The 2020 PAAE Outstanding Program Award recipient is Elizabethtown Area High School.

Elizabethtown's Agricultural Education program was founded in 1958 and is currently run by Mr. Mark Anderson and Mr. Stephen Geib. This pair of educators maintains a diverse program that offers an array of agriculture courses including Introduction to Agriculture, Animal Science, Agriculture Mechanics, Veterinary Science, Greenhouse Management, Equine Science, Aquatic Resources, and Wildlife. Students at Elizabethtown Area High School also have the opportunity to engage in hands on learning in two classrooms, a greenhouse, an aquatics laboratory, an agriculture mechanics shop, and an animal science laboratory. Additionally, Elizabethtown is home to an active FFA chapter who has produced, since the start of Mr. Anderson's career at Elizabethtown in 2005, five State FFA Officers multiple state winning teams in the areas of Horse Evaluation, Agriculture Sales, Milk Products Evaluation, and Market Plan, two state proficiency winners, many Keystone State Degree winners, and quite a few American Degree winners. The Elizabethtown FFA has also recently created a Greenhand Bootcamp where new members can learn about the opportunities that the organization has to offer on a local, state, and national level.

The agriculture program at Elizabethtown Area High School remains a vital part of the local community. In 1985, the program was named the Eastern Region BOAC Award Winner for their community service with the Elizabethtown Fair. Today, the program continues to engage with the community through a variety of events. Each year, Elizabethtown agriculture students and FFA members plan a day of workshops for local fourth graders so that they may learn more about agriculture and their environment at an event appropriately named Ag and Environmental Day. The program also hosts a Pig Roast during National FFA Week where they serve Elizabethtown Area High School faculty and staff, recognizing the community of support that helps the program remain successful in educating it's students. Elizabethtown FFA members can also be found at the annual Elizabethtown Fair offering a Farmer for a Day experience to children in the community interested in learning about the vast nature of the agriculture industry.

While Elizabethtown strives to provide each student with the opportunity to learn, lead, and grow, the program does face a few challenges with fluctuations in enrollment and seniors being unable to participate in the program when they engage in the local Career and Technical Center.  Despite these challenges however, this program continues to work towards providing more opportunities for their students and adapting to a student body increasingly dependent on technology. 

The Elizabethtown Agricultural Education program welcomes all students interested in learning about agriculture, the environment, science, and mechanics. Strong student leaders and passionate Agricultural Educators continue to drive this program towards success by offering students opportunities to take part in experiential learning, personal growth, community service, and leadership. "Being a graduate of the agriculture program at Elizabethtown, I have seen first hand the hard work that both the educators and the students put into it. Mr. Anderson and Mr. Geib teach their students to embrace challenges, and it truly shows in the difference this program makes in the community and the growth of the students it serves". The 2020 PAAE Outstanding Program Award is a testament to the fantastic opportunities being offered to the students of Elizabethtown Area High School and the positive difference it is making in preparing future agriculturists for professional careers in the industry. Be sure to congratulate Mr. Anderson and Mr. Geib on the success of their program and the contributions it continues to make to the agriculture industry.

Taylor Halbleib

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2022

PAAE Teacher Mentor Award Recipient Mr. Mark Anderson

Each year the Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators (PAAE) recognizes an individual who has worked hard to oversee the growth of other Agricultural Educators in Pennsylvania. This individual values the different perspectives and skills that new Agricultural Educators bring to their classrooms and communities and offers to help prepare them for the challenges and triumphs that those new Agricultural Educators may face throughout their careers. The 2020 recipient of the Teacher Mentor Award has be given to Mr. Mark Anderson (@deucehorse).

Mr. Anderson was motivated to begin a career as an Agricultural Educator when he served as the 1987-1988 Pennsylvania FFA (@FFAPENN) State Vice President where his experience with his fellow students made him want to become an Agricultural Educator and FFA Advisor. Mr. Anderson began his career as an Agricultural Educator by acquiring a degree in Agricultural Education from The Pennsylvania State University (@TeachAgPSU). After graduating, he served as a long term substitute for Blue Mountain High School's agriculture program. Currently, Mr. Anderson teaches at Elizabethtown Area High School where he manages the agriculture program and FFA chapter with Mr. Stephen Geib (@EtownFFA).

Being an experienced Agricultural Educator, Mr. Anderson has lived through many challenges and triumphs throughout his career. Every day he is challenged to work with students who are not motivated to learn so that he can prepare them for life after high school by helping them discover their own passions. Those challenges are all worth it though as he describes one of his proudest moments as, "Watching a former student become a State FFA Officer, then become an Agricultural Educator, and have her first State FFA Officer". In addition to watching his own students succeed, he also enjoys helping other Agricultural Educators to learn about Inquiry Based Instruction as an NAAE Agriscience Ambassador and Facilitator (@NAAE). 

Mr. Anderson has mentored seven student teachers and five of his own students who graduated from his program and earned a degree in Agricultural and Extension Education, two of them (Ms. Sarah Thoman and Ms. Sarabeth Alderfer) who are currently Agricultural Educators in Pennsylvania. Being chosen as the recipient of the PAAE Teacher Mentor Award means a great deal to Mr. Anderson as he thoroughly enjoys helping other Agricultural Educators realize their potential as teachers and advisors. Seeing his mentees succeed is rewarding to him because it is rewarding to them to be able to discover new ways to better help their own students. Mr. Anderson's advice to new Agricultural Educators would be, "Be yourself and do not try to fit into someone else's mold. Get as many hands on and practical experiences in agriculture as you can; they will help you to guide your students to a better understanding of the opportunities in the agriculture industry". 

Be sure to congratulate Mr. Mark Anderson on being recognized as the 2020 PAAE Teacher Mentor Award recipient and wish him luck as he applies to be the NAAE Region VI Teacher Mentor Award recipient.

Taylor Halbleib

Penn State CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2022