Q: Why did you choose to come to the University of Missouri?
A: I chose to come to the University of Missouri because CAFNR made it feel like home. Coming from a small town I always found Mizzou to be intimidating because of its size. Little did I know, CAFNR shrinks it down quickly because of the familiar faces you see on a day-to-day basis and because of the genuine care the staff members have for their students. I could not have imagined being anywhere else for the past three years.
Q: Why did you choose to pursue your degree?
A: I chose to pursue my degree in agricultural education for several reasons. The first reason is because it combines two of the things that I am very passionate about: education and agriculture. From a young age I found myself wanting to be in a variety of occupations, for the longest time it was a teacher, then a veterinarian, to a plant scientist, and now an agriculture teacher. I knew from a young age that I wanted to be involved in agriculture, I just did not know how. When I entered into my high school’s agriculture program that changed, and I found the path I knew I wanted to pursue. The second reason is because of the mentors that I had that were agriculture teachers. They were incredibly supportive to me and believed that I could achieve things that I did not. It is my hope that some day I can serve as the supporter and challenger that my agriculture teachers were for me to my future students.
Q: Did you partake in any research, study abroad, or internship opportunities? What did you enjoy about those experiences?
A: While at Mizzou I did take advantage of some different internship opportunities. One internship was the AFE (American Floral Endowment) Mosmiller Internship program. Through this internship I was placed at our campus floral shop, Tiger Garden, to complete my experience. The thing that I enjoyed most about this experience was the day-to-day work. I enjoyed working with customers to help establish what they were looking for in a floral arrangement and then getting to bring those ideas to life through the floral design process. Another internship that I had was my student teaching experience. During this experience I served as both an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor. One thing that I enjoyed about this experience was getting to connect and work with students in the agriculture classroom. During both of these internship experiences I found myself utilizing the skills that I learned during my coursework at Mizzou in a real-world setting making me feel more prepared for my career outside of college.
Q: What is a favorite memory you have during your time in CAFNR?
A: A favorite memory I have from my time at CAFNR has been the CAFNR Week celebrations. Year to year I always had so much fun at the different activities that took place during the week. I remember playing mud volleyball for the first time and thinking, “This is awesome, what other college is doing this?” This just solidified my reasoning for choosing Mizzou even more because it showcased the community that is found in CAFNR.
Q: How did your degree program prepare you for the future?
A: My degree program prepared me for my future in many different ways. The biggest way that it has prepared me has been by challenging me to have outside the box thinking when preparing to teach in a classroom setting and by learning how to bring variability, clarity, passion, and energy to the classroom each and every day. This degree program has taught me how to be an educator but also a professional and representative for the agriculture industry. The Mizzou Agricultural Education, Communications, and Leadership department will always hold a special place in my heart because it has helped me grow in many ways and has made me the educator I am today. I am thankful to have been a part of such an awesome program that cares so much for their students’ success.
Q: What are your future plans?
A: After graduating Mizzou with a degree in Agricultural Education, Teacher Certification, I plan to pursue a career as a high school agriculture teacher and advisor. After my first year of teaching, I plan to continue my education and obtain my master’s degree.