Morgan Watkins, an agricultural education major, was named Outstanding Freshman at CAFNR’s 2023 Celebration of Excellence awards ceremony, held Tuesday, April 11. 

 Watkins is an active member of Missouri 4-H and the National FFA Organization. She is currently serving as a 2022-23 Missouri state FFA vice president, where she educates high school students and is focused on building a bright future for the agricultural industry. The vice president role allows Watkins to network with industry leaders, and she has facilitated numerous events during the past year. 

 Since coming to the University of Missouri, Watkins has joined Sigma Alpha and is an at-large representative of the CAFNR Student Council. Watkins attends professional development events and assists with service projects through Sigma Alpha. Through CAFNR Student Council, she communicates with other students, focuses on creating a positive environment and serves as a voice for the CAFNR student body. 

 “As a student, Morgan works hard to make an impact on her classmates and community,” said John Tummons, associate teaching professor in the Division of Applied Social Sciences. “Morgan is self-assured, in a positive way, and she is very willing to speak up for what she thinks is right. She speaks up in a very inclusive and constructive way, but I appreciate how she stands firm on the right ways to lead and treat people. Morgan is comfortable taking leadership roles. She truly cares about others and their successes. Morgan has the unique ability to hold followers to extremely high levels of performance, but to do so in a caring way and in a way where followers want to be challenged and celebrate success.”