CPPD November Student of the Month- Celia Graef!

 

AEE November Student of the Month

The Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to congratulate Celia Graef for being recognized as the November Agricultural and Extension Education Student of the Month. Celia is a Senior Majoring in AEE with an Environmental Science Focus and minors in International Agriculture, Entomology, and Biology. She is from State College, Pennsylvania, and graduated from State College Area High School.

When asked why she chose Penn State Celia states that because      "[it]  made sense financially, and I originally wanted to study Entomology, so I was planning on majoring in Immunology and Infectious Disease with a minor in Entomology. I quickly realized that I do not like Chemistry, and I like working with people, so I

switched to AEE. I kept the entomology minor and picked up Biology and International Agriculture so that I can have a well-rounded base of knowledge to use with the teaching skills I've learned through AEE. I'm happy I picked Penn State, and I'm glad I did not stick with Chemistry." Her favorite class that she has taken was Biology 417 which is Invertebrate Biology. On campus, she is involved in the PSU Beekeeper's Club as an executive member and the Entomology Grad Student Association as the Undergraduate Representative.

Celia is particularly interested and passionate about the connection between Agriculture and Environmental Conservation and the importance of teaching Global Agriculture. She has had internships in the Frost Entomological Museum as a Collections Assistant, as a Shaver's Creek Environmental Center Naturalist, and in Boulder, Colorado as a Growing Gardens Educator. A couple of defining experiences in her college career included her Student Engagement and Experiential Discovery (SEED) semester and her involvement in the Global Orientation in Agricultural Learning (GOALs) program. For the future, Celia says" I plan to teach in some capacity, but I'm not exactly sure how I want to do that yet. I can see myself teaching in a high school or middle school classroom teaching Ag, Environmental Science, STEM, or Biology. I can also see myself teaching in an informal setting at an outdoor

school or environmental center.

While on campus, Celia enjoys hanging out in the big comfy chairs in the Forest Resources Building. Her favorite place to eat in State College is Cafe Alina. Her hobbies include sewing, hiking, cooking, and playing the piano. One interesting thing about Celia is that she can play the accordion. 

In January, Celia will begin student teacher with Mrs. Carly Rippole at Derry Area High School. She will be teaching Natural Resources and Ecology, Floral Design, Food Science, Intro to Horticulture, Plant Science, and Equine Science. Both Celia and Mrs. Rippole participated in the SEED semester during their time at Penn State and Celia is excited to learn more about her experiences and how she uses what she learned in the classroom.

Celia's favorite quote:

"A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there." - Gina Milicia

Follow Celia on Twitter: @celia_graef

Erica Teagarden

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2026

CPPD October Student of the Month- Mckenzie Mahler!

AEE October Student of the Month

The Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to congratulate Mckenzie Mahler on being recognized as the October AEE Student of the Month. She has showed exemplary efforts within her academic and extracurricular involvement. 

Mckenzie is Senior majoring in Agricultural and Extension Education with a minor in International Agriculture. Her future plans include either working in a high school agricultural education program or in a local extension office. Mckenzie chose Penn State because of the many opportunities that are offered to preservice agriculture educators.

Mayan Ruins in Belize

She is from Somerset, Pennsylvania and attended Somerset Area High School. Mckenzie was involved in 4-H and FFA for many years. She was apart of the Steaks and Chops 4-H Club for six years and served as the Secretary. She was also a member of the Somerset Area FFA Chapter and held the officer positions of President, Vice-President, and Sentinel. She served as the President, Vice-President, and Treasurer of the Somerset County FFA Association. Through her experiences in these organizations she participated in raising market lambs and goats as well as various career and leadership development events.

 

Teaching for a week in Montana for GOALs

On campus, Mckenzie has been involved in the Teach Ag! Avengers for the past year and is a Global Teach Ag Network Undergraduate Intern. Also while at Penn State, she has been a part of the Global Orientation to Agriculture Learning Program (GOALs) which provide pre-service agriculture educators with an opportunity to receive an international teaching experience. In addition, she took AEE 499 which was an embedded course that allowed her to travel to Belize for 10 days to learn about agricultural education. Her favorite class that she had taken at Penn State has been AEE 349 which is Shop Processes for Agricultural Educators. 

When asked about her passion or specific interest in agriculture Mckenzie says, "I would like to think that I truly have an interest in every agricultural content area. Admittingly, I am very passionate about all things plants, horticulture, and floriculture, however, I enjoy learning about all areas of the industry." She enjoys growing and propagating plants and dreams to run her own greenhouse someday.

Building Kestrel Boxes in AEE 349

Some other interesting things about Mckenzie are that she completed an internship as a Direct Support Professional for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Her favorite place to hangout on campus is in Ferguson building room 214. She enjoys going to Otto's in State College to eat. Mckenzie's hobbies include growing and propagating plants, reading books, and listening to true crime podcasts. Mckenzie also has a dog named Buddy who came to college with her.

In January Mckenzie will begin her student teaching experience at Biglerville High School with Mrs. Michelle Miller. She will be teaching Vet Science, Small Animal Science, Large Animal Science, Ag Science, and Ag Mechanics. In her time student teaching Mckenzie is most excited to work with students in Biglerville's new greenhouse.

Mckenzie's favorite quote:
"Find out who you are and do it on purpose." - Dolly Parton

Follow Mckenzie on Twitter and Instagram
Twitter: @MahlerMckenzie
Instagram: @mckenzie_mahler

Erica Teagarden

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2026

Penn State Teach Ag Alum Leads Exemplary Program in PA

The Center for Professional Personnel Development and the Penn State Teach Ag team would like to highlight Carly Rippole for her work on leading an exemplary program in Pennsylvania with horticulture and greenhouse operations.

Carly is in her 8th year of teaching at Derry Area High School. She is a 2015 graduate of Penn State with a degree in Agricultural and Extension Education. She looks to create a program that would conduct a regional floral competitions. In this, teams of two would travel to Pittsburgh to work with industry partners. They would have one hour to design a theme. After, their design is reviewed by a panel. 

This program can help to provide a hands on experience for a diverse audience of students to engage in. Mainly, those who do not come from traditional agricultural backgrounds. It would help to relate to more suburban and urban populations. Also, this program would help students to form a meaningful connection to the Floriculture industry. This is a large industry in Pennsylvania that hold many opportunities for apprenticeships and work-based learning that students often are not aware of. 

It is expected that close to 20 students or 10 teams will be participating. The date for this pilot program is January 17, 2024.

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

CPPD September Student of the Month- Brandon Bixler!

 AEE September Student of the Month

Each month the Center for Professional Personnel Development recognizes one Penn State Agricultural and Extension Education student for their outstanding efforts within the undergraduate program, extracurricular activities and community involvement. For the month of September, Brandon Bixler is being recognized as the Student of the Month. 

Currently, Brandon is a Senior studying Agricultural and Extension Education with a minor in International Agriculture. He is from East Earl, Pennsylvania and is a 2019 graduate of Garden Spot High School. During his time in high school, Brandon was a member of the Grassland FFA Chapter. From 2019 to 2020 Brandon served as the Pennsylvania FFA Vice-President and was the 2021 PA FFA National Officer Candidate. He said, "I owe much of my professional and personal growth to my time in FFA and those who influenced me on my journey!"

Brandon shared, "I chose Penn State because of the people and opportunities that make this university all that it is. I was profoundly impacted by agricultural educators who went through the AEE program, and this legacy of enduring impact alongside the vast professional network and opportunities for experiential learning made coming to PSU an easy decision". On campus, Brandon is involved in Ag Advocates, Teach Ag! Avengers, PSU FFA Alumni and Supporters, Collegiate Farm Bureau, Coaly Society, University Park Undergraduate Association Student Government (UPUA), and Presidential Leadership Academy (PLA). He has also been an AESE Student Consultant, INTAG 100N Teaching Assistant, and apart of the GOALS Program. He has also had internships with the Global Teach Ag Network, Corteva Agriscience, HOPE International, and NAAE Teach Ag Ambassador Program.

His agricultural passion stems from his interest in International Agriculture. Brandon stated, "I have a specific interest in international agricultural development and exploring how I can use my background in agricultural education to share agricultural knowledge and practices to support development efforts benefiting entrepreneurs and smallholder farmers. I enjoy connecting international agriculture concepts to each of the subjects I will teach in the classroom!" 

Brandon has had many travel opportunities that added to his experience with international agriculture as well. He shared, "During my time at Penn State, I have been fortunate to travel a fair amount including four new countries (Nepal, Dominican Republic, Canada, and Kenya). Whether doing undergraduate research or participating in an embedded course, I have grown so much through these opportunities to learn from others around the world".

Brandon's favorite class that he has taken was CED 497- Community Engagement with Pennsylvania Farmworkers. In this class he had the opportunity to work with Spanish-speaking farmworkers on a local dairy farm and gained experience teach English. He enjoys hanging out with his some of his favorite people in Ferguson 213. In State College, his favorite place to eat is Sower's Harvest Cafe. The Philadelphia Eagles and Penn State Nittany Lions are favorites of Brandon. His hobbies include spending quality time with his family and friends, time outdoors, hunting down new coffee spots, and playing games. An interesting thing about Brandon is that he has a 7-year-old Golden Retriever named Penny. 

In January, Brandon will begin his student teaching at Athens Area High School with Mr. Dave Steinfelt and Ms. Sarabeth Alderfer. He will be teaching SAE/FFA, Ag Mechanics 1, Ag Mechanics 2, Ag &
Natural Resources, Into to Ag, Animal Science, and Horticulture. He said, "I am most excited to teach a broad variety of courses and gain experience in new content like Ag Mechanics. I'm also excited to experience life and agricultural education in Northern PA - this will be new for me!" After graduating, Brandon plans to begin his career as an agricultural educator and seek opportunities to make a positive impact with his work. 

Brandon's favorite quote is:

 "The time is always right to do what is right." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Follow Brandon on Twitter and Instagram

Twitter: @BrandonBixler

Instagram: @brandon.bixler

Erica Teagarden

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2026

Paige Rohrbach is AEE June Student of the Month

AEE June Student of the Month:
Paige Rohrbach

Each month the Center for Professional Personnel Development recognizes an AEE for their achievements. For the month of June, we would like to recognize Paige Rohrbach as Student of the Month. Throughout her time at Penn State, Paige has had many achievements both in academics and extracurriculars.  gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg Paige is from Oley Valley, Pennsylvania and is a graduate of  Oley Valley High School. During her time in high school, Paige was a member of the Oley Valley FFA chapter. She is currently a senior in Agricultural and Extension Education and will graduate in the Spring of 2024. Her future plans are to return to the classroom to teach high school agriculture. She chose Penn State "because of vast opportunities and resources that they provide and connections that we make while in college".

During her time at Penn State, Paige has become very involved in many different clubs, jobs, and other activities. She is currently a student worker for the Center for Professional Personnel Development. She also serves as an Ag Recruitment Intern, Ag Advocate, Teach Ag! Avenger, and is a member of the Coaly Society. She has also completed an internship over the summer for Montgomery county 4-H. A defining moment for Paige during her college career was when she got the opportunity to teach in a high school classroom in Glenwood, Minnesota with Mrs. Tiffany Kobberman during Spring Break of 2023. 

Paige's favorite class at Penn State was AEE 349 with Dr. Ewing. Room 213 in the Ferguson building is Paige's favorite place to hangout on campus. Her favorite place to eat in State College is Moe's. She is a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Her hobbies include hunting and hanging out with family. One interesting thing about Paige is that she has been alligator hunting in Florida. 

Her agriculture interest is Environmental and Wildlife. In the Spring she will be student teaching at Cedar Crest High School with Mr. Philip Haussener and Ms. Claudia Brady. She will be teaching a wide array of classes. She is most excited to grow as a teacher and become more confident while teaching lessons. She is really looking forward to growing her knowledge of mechanics. 

Her favorite quote is:

 "An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it's going to launch you into something great. So just focus, and keep aiming." -Paulo Coelho

Follow Paige on Twitter and Instagram

Twitter: @prohrbach02 

Instagram: @paigerohrbach02

Erica Teagarden

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2026

Baylor Shunk is AEE May Student of the Month

AEE May Student of the Month: 
Baylor Shunk

Each month the Center for Professional Personnel Development recognizes an AEE for their achievements. For the month of May, we would like to recognize Baylor Shunk as Student of the Month. Throughout his time at Penn State, Baylor has had many achievements both in academics and extracurriculars. 

Baylor is from Centre Hall, Pennsylvania and is a graduate of Penns Valley High School. During his time in high school, Baylor was a member of the Penns Valley FFA chapter and apart of the Penns Valley Rams Wrestling team.

Baylor will graduate in 2024 with a Bachelors Degree in Agricultural and Extension Education and is currently apart of the Penn State wrestling team. His future plans are to teach in a school-based agriculture education program in Pennsylvania, coach high school wrestling, and settle down and raise a family. 

When asked why he chose Penn State Baylor said, "I chose Penn State because I knew that the Ag Ed program was superior, and then when the wrestling program reached out, that solidified my decision in continuing my academics and athletics here in State College". His favorite class at Penn State is AEE 311 with Dr. Curry. On campus, he is apart of the Penn State wrestling team and has been since starting college. Baylor says that his favorite hang-out spot on campus is the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex.

His hobbies include wrestling, farming, hunting, and trying to play guitar which he is currently teaching himself to do. Jersey Mike's is Baylor's favorite place to eat in State College. His favorite sports team is the Pittsburgh Steelers. HIs agricultural interests includes ag mechanics and farming practices

Baylor is completing his student teaching internship at Central Columbia High School with Mr. Doug Brown. He is teaching Ag Science 1, 2, 3, and 4. He teaches units with in Small Gas Engines, Food Science, Electrical Wiring, Welding, Animal Welfare, Pollinators, Woodworking, ATV Safety, FFA, Safe Tractor Driving, and Machinery Operation. He also teaching Environmental Science and Forest and Wildlife Science. During his student teaching experience, Baylor says that he is most excited for coaching his students for CDEs and LDEs. "I love coaching, so getting to coach some CDE/LDE teams and individuals during my student teaching is something that I love and enjoy".

His favorite quote is:

 "Life is far too important of a thing to ever talk serious about"- Raymond Reddington

Follow Baylor on Twitter and Instagram

Twitter: @ShunkBaylor 

Instagram: @shunk_psu

Erica Teagarden

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2026