Ally McCurdy is a senior studying community leadership with a specialization in community and extension eduction and a double major human development and family science. She is originally from Marion, Ohio and is a graduate of Pleasant High School. She is one of 14 students to be named an ACEL Distinguished Senior for 2021.

Why did you choose your major?
I choose my major in community leadership due to my own career aspirations as well as knowing that I would get the individualized education in my major and department. I would not simply be a number in a classroom. 

Why did you choose to attend Ohio State?
I actually committed to attending Ohio State before I toured campus during my senior year. I want to work as an extension agent within 4-H so why would I choose somewhere else when I can learn from the best in extension education at Ohio State

What classes did you enjoy the most?
I enjoyed many of my classes within my major including program development and evaluation with Dr. Sheer and statistics with Dr. Bowling. These were both amazing classes with amazing professors who were there for you when you needed it.

Tell us about the organizations you were involved with as a student.
Alpha Sigma Upsilon was an incredibly important part of my time at Ohio State. I have been the scholarship chair, fundraising chair and then the treasurer within this organization. 

What internships did you complete and how did they help you decide what you did or did not want to do after graduation?
I did an internship with Hardin County Extension the summer after my freshman year and I did learn that I wanted to be an extension educator but also that I really enjoy the family consumer science side as well as 4-H.

What stands out as your best college memory?
I am really not sure what would be my best. There are so many, ranging from riding scooters around campus to meeting one of my best friends. There are so so many memories that I will always cherish.

Why should someone else consider your major at Ohio State?
There are so many reasons why someone should consider community leadership at Ohio State. This is a great department and major with some of the best professors who are truly there to help you achieve your goals.

Kayla Ritter is a senior studying community leadership with a specialization in leadership. Originally from Brookville, Ohio, Kayla is a graduate of Troy Christian High School. She is one of 14 seniors from the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership to be selected as an ACEL Distinguished Seniors.

Deja Reid is a senior studying community leadership with a specialization in community and extension education. From Columbus, Ohio, Deja is a graduate of Columbus Alternative High School. She is one of 14 seniors from the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership to be selected as an ACEL Distinguished Seniors.

Why did you choose your major?
I chose community leadership as my major because I was very interested in the idea of education for kids outside of the classroom. My experience in the Homework Help Center at the Columbus Metropolitan Library showed me how much I appreciated being in an environment where kids sought help with their homework and where the community stepped in to help. I saw community leadership as a way to bring together my passions of education, working with youth, and my community.

Why did you choose to attend Ohio State?
Ohio State was my ultimate choice for college because of the vast opportunities I saw for myself here. I did not have a major at the time I enrolled, so I wanted a university that had as many majors as possible. I also wanted to feel comfortable and supported as a Black student, so the Multicultural Center and Office of Diversity and Inclusion were big draws for me.

What classes did you enjoy the most?
The classes I enjoyed the most were elective general education courses. I took a R&B and Hip-Hop course that was taught by Dr. Ted McDaniel. I also enjoyed my Intro to Sociology course with Dr. Eric Schoon and the Making America Modern history course with Dr. Bart Elmore.

What student organizations have you been involved in as a student?
I started freshman year in the Mount Leadership Society scholars program and have been involved with that all four years. I was a committee member in the wellness and activities committee, then during my second year, I co-chaired the leadership and training committee where we developed and executed leadership events for the students in the program. I also have been a Diversity Ambassador (DA) in Undergraduate Admissions since my freshman year. As DAs, we engage with high school students who are in underrepresented groups here on campus. We share about the university, help with applications, and field any questions about being a student at Ohio State.

What internships did you complete and how did they help you decide what you did or did not want to do after graduation?
I’ve had two internships during my college time. The first was during the summer before my junior year at New Haven Reads in New Haven, CT. This internship was my first experience seeing behind the scenes of a nonprofit going. This time was great for me because it gave me more experience working with kids in a non-school setting which is what I aspire to do. During this time, I created lessons and taught mini classes in math and drama. It was a great experience for me to hone skills in lesson planning and leading groups of children.

My current internship is with Junior Achievement of Central Ohio on the Marketing and Development team. Before beginning this internship, I had little experience in marketing and had no idea what development even was. Now, I know that marketing and communications is probably not for me, but I could see myself involved in development in a nonprofit.

What stands out as your best college memory?
My best college memories are from the large campus events. The first one that comes to mind is the Multicultural Center Family Affair cookout during Ohio State’s Welcome Week. It was always a great time to visit student organization tables, eat good food, and fellowship with the Black OSU community. Of course, attending football games as a student will always be a great memory. I was able to watch the 2019 Homecoming game from the President’s Box and got to meet President Drake and Brutus!

Why should someone else consider your major at Ohio State?
Community leadership is a great major that can translate to many lines of work. While most people with my major plan to work in extension or 4-H, I plan to go into nonprofit work. The major offers courses that are useful for many career paths and it also time to add minors that can enhance the major coursework.

Ally Irwin is a senior studying community leadership with a minor in organizational communication. Hailing from Wheelersburg, Ohio, Ally is a graduate of Jackson High School. She is one of 14 seniors from the Department of Agricultural Communication, Educational, and Leadership to be named an ACEL Distinguished Senior.

Why did you choose the major of community leadership?
It took me a few tries before I got my major right. I was really struggling with my course load and wasn’t interested in the content of the classes I was taking at the time. After browsing the CFAES website, and numerous advising appointments, I found community leadership and knew it was right for me. I was always involved in organizations, clubs, and leadership in high school. It’s the one consistent thing I have been passionate about since I started my educational journey. I love learning theories about change, development, and leadership, and putting them into action.

Why did you choose to become a Buckeye?
I had only ever imagined going to Ohio State growing up. I applied to several colleges as a high school senior but stopped opening admissions letter after finding out I was accepted to Ohio State! My brother is a year older than me and also chose to attend OSU. He’s in the marching band.

What have been some of your favorite courses at Ohio State?
I truly enjoyed all of my core classes for my major. Some of those included: Foundations in Personal and Professional Leadership, Leading Teams and Organizations, Community Development in Practice, and Leadership for Community Change.

What have you been involved with as a student on campus?
Throughout my time at Ohio State, I have volunteered for the OWL program (Ohio State Welcome Leader), Empower Sports, and BuckeyeThon. I also became a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS).

The Ohio StateWelcome Leader (OWL) program provides opportunities for residence hall students who value leadership and helping others to participate in the residence hall move in process. Empower Sports aims to harness the power of competition and teamwork in sports to build self-confidence and interpersonal skills of children with autism. The mission of BuckeyeThon is to create awareness and raise funds for children with cancer. The society is an organization that helps people discover and achieve their goals. It serves as a powerful force of good in the greater community by encouraging organizing action to better the world.

Share your internship and outside education experiences.
I have been an academic coach at Ohio State’s Dennis Learning Center (DLC). Being an academic coach at the DLC has proven to be the second most pivotal decision I have made at Ohio State, right behind changing my major to community leadership. I struggled immensely as an incoming freshman. I was taking too many credit hours and the wrong combination of classes. Luckily, I was enrolled in a DLC sponsored course on self-regulated learning and study strategies. The instructor noticed how well I was doing in the class and asked me if I’d be interested in coaching. I have held this job for almost three years. I help consult with students on their test taking, motivation, academic stress, study skills, and more. This job has encouraged me to pursue a career in higher education as well as other positions with consulting roles.

I’m currently a communication and programs fellow with Foundation for Appalachian Ohio. This is my newest job. Because of my upbringing and other experiences, I’ve become super passionate about advocating for education and leadership opportunities for those within Appalachian Communities. FAO serves 32 counties in Ohio and their mission is to bridge the philanthropic gap by supporting nonprofits.

I was also a premium experience intern for the Columbus Blue Jackets and a campus ambassador for the National Society of Leadership and Success.

What are your plans for after graduation?
After graduation, I plan to further my education and get a master’s in business administration. I would also like to get another advanced degree in either organizational development, psychology, or leadership. Eventually, I would like to come back and work in higher education.

Why should someone consider your major?
Someone else should consider my major because it is extremely versatile and informative no matter the context in which it’s used. ACEL also provides exceptional resources and even better support systems. My advisor, Dr. Rodriguez, became the best role model, mentor, and teacher.

Solomon Garner is a senior studying community leadership with a specialization in leadership and a minor in youth development. A Columbus, Ohio native, Solomon is a graduate of Briggs High School. He is one of 14 seniors from the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership selected as an ACEL Distinguished Senior.

Why did you choose your major?
Initially, I chose my major because I wanted to one day help the community I grew up in, which is the Hilltop area in Columbus. I knew that community development was needed to make it a better place. However, there’s so many communities in need and I wanted a way to help more than just my own.

Why did you choose to attend Ohio State?
Ohio State has one of the greatest reputations in the world, and I was always fond of the dream being a part of a such an illustrious institution.

What classes did you enjoy the most?
This is a tough choice but five classes I for sure enjoyed the most were: Community Leadership (COMLDR 5000), Professional Leadership Ethics (COMLDR) 5430, Advanced Agricultural Communication and Technology (AGRCOMM 5530), Community, Environment, and Development (ENR 3500), and Public Service and Civic Engagement (PUBAFRS 2120)

What internships did you complete and how did they help you decide what you did or did not want to do after graduation?
I completed my internship with Dr. King in the OSU Leadership Center. This internship confirmed what I want to do after graduation and confirmed that I made the right decision in choosing my major. My internship consisted of answering the question and goal of “how to intentionally incorporate social justice issues into leadership development programs?” This internship challenged me ethically, morally, and intellectually in terms of leadership. It called for me to view community for who and what it is, while checking, addressing, and removing my implicit bias to properly address the community in awareness of social justice.

What do you plan to do after graduation?
I plan to either enter the workforce or attend graduate school for a Master of Science with a concentration in leadership.

What stands out as your best college memory?
Volunteering with Zero Waste during the football season, along with attending games and storming the fields when we win, stands out as my best college memory.

Why should someone else consider your major at Ohio State?
If one is looking for a challenge and community that will plant the seeds for them to grow and change the world as we know it, community leadership is for you. The community leadership major will provide one with the tools to grow into the leader they believe themselves to be. The tools to impact and ignite the lives of others around them.

Melanie Fuhrmann is a senior studying community leadership with minors in youth development, human development and family sciences, and horticulture. Hailing from Wheelersburg, Ohio, Melanie is a graduate of Minford, Ohio. She is one of 14 seniors of the department of the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership to be named an ACEL Distinguished Senior.

Why did you choose your major?
I have been a part of 4-H and around extension professionals ever since I was born. I have always loved educating others about my family’s apple orchard, working with youth and helping others better themselves. Thus, this major seemed perfect for becoming an extension educator in the future.

Why did you choose to attend Ohio State?
I chose to attend Ohio State because of a few reasons. I have lived in Ohio my entire life, naturally making me a Buckeye, both of my sisters also attended Ohio State and loved the campus and community here. The last reason was because Ohio State is research oriented and connected to Ohio State Extension, allowing me to build relationships and connections with those who can help me achieve my dreams.

What classes did you enjoy the most?
I loved Tom Stewart’s public speaking class, I took it to brush up on my speaking skills and would 100% take it again. He is an amazing teacher and person. I also loved Social Work 2100 with Jerry Davis, this class helped me to find my love for working with LiFEsports. HCS 2306 with Elaine Grassbaugh was a very fun and hands on class. Finally, teaching methods for nonformal learning environments (COMLDR 5330) with Dr. Rodriqguez was extremely enjoyable and hands-on. We were able to teach youth about agriculture and create a campus tour for the other students.

Leading a lesson with youth during the methods of non-formal teaching course.

What student organizations have you been involved in as a student?
I’ve been a member of a number of student organizations including Agricultural Education Society (community outreach chair, McCaslin committee chair), a member of the Women’s Varsity Bowling Team, Collegiate Farm Bureau and the Ohio State Disney Club.

Ohio State’s Varsity Bowling Team

What internships and job experiences have you had as a student?
I have completed an early field experience (EFE) with the Scioto County, Ohio 4-H Youth Development Extension Educators. This was a great experience of learning more about the summer duties for 4-H Extension educators. I was able to work during the fair week, it opened my eyes to the hard work required but reassured myself that I would love to work as a 4-H Youth Development extension educator.

I was a Chalk Talk leader for the 2019 summer Ccamp through LiFEsports at Ohio State. During this experience I worked with at-risk youth of all ages and other college students and professionals. I loved being able to work in a different atmosphere with the same goals of helping youth to better themselves. This experience helped me gain experience working with youth who could be very difficult and trying but that at the end the effort was completely worth it. It also opened my eyes to the different possibilities available for working with youth.

With campers during LiFEsports summer camp

With campers, and their awards, during LiFEsports summer camp

I recently completed a five-week internship with a Purdue Extension Specialist Dr. Kathryn Orvis and Dee Nicley, one of the Tippecanoe County, Indiana 4-H Youth Development extension educators. Through this internship I developed and created a Spark Club about floriculture to be used as a Spark Club and as an online resource for the Indiana Junior Master Gardeners Program. This helped me to understand how much time, effort and patience goes into creating programs and the process of it.

I am currently completing a six-week internship with Kayla Oberstadt, a program manager with Ohio 4-H Youth Development for Ohio Military Kids and Older Youth Programs. This summer I will return to the Tippecanoe County, Indiana Extension Office.

The biggest and most impactful work experience I have had would be working for my family’s farm. We own an apple orchard and attend three farmers markets from June until September, this year we added a farmers market in Columbus from December until the middle of February, we have a storefront and have done many workshops and events to educate the public. This work is very difficult but very rewarding. I have grown up working on the farm and it truly has taught me how to have a work ethic and how to love what I do.

While working on the farm I have started transplants, planted our plants, picked all our produce and flowers, washed the produce and prepared it for farmers markets and orders, and sold all our produce and flowers. I’ve also managed and operated three different farmers markets weekly, promoting buying local, talking to customers, and making change. Manage the orchard Facebook page and create items for advertisement and promotion, and coordinate fall apple festival. Taught and managed our Flower Picking Experience Workshops and Wreath Making Workshops. Picked, assembled, and created flower arrangements, bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres for various weddings and special events. I also have attended many conferences to learn more about the industry and growing different crops. The most challenging part of working on my family farm is being two-hours away from my family farm. During school I usually drive home on the weekends to help my family with our business and with raising our meat goats and it can be a struggle to want to help more than just on the weekends. COVID allowed me to stay during our busiest season to help on the farm and I was extremely grateful to be able to help more once Autumn semester had started.

I also work for The Ohio State University Department of Athletics on the maintenance facilities grounds crew. With this job my crew and I maintain all the outdoor Ohio State athletic facilities throughout the year and during sporting events. This includes prepping of athletic fields and playing mounds, mowing, cleaning of bathrooms, locker rooms, and press boxes, cleaning of athletic facility stands, upkeep of the grounds areas, and upkeep of the maintenance garage. This job has truly taught me how to work with others and create positive work environments. I am usually the only female on the crew, working with all men can be an issue because sometimes I am viewed as lesser or like I don’t know what I am doing originally. However, I have been able to create friendships and change other people’s minds that females can belong on a field crew.

With Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George during a football game in 2019

With Brutus during a football game

What stands out as your best college memory?
My best college memories are likely my Buck-I-SERV trips. I have loved the trips I went on, helping others with no agenda, meeting new people, and creating a tight knit family in the process. They are amazing experiences, not easy to describe but full of memories and good times.

Splattered with oil during a Habitat for Humanity project in Pensacola, Florida on a Buck-I-SERV trip.

Why should someone else consider your major at Ohio State?
My major helps to teach you all of the social skills needed to work with others, lead others and help others become the best they can. Everyone should learn how to communicate and work with others, it is not often taught but valuable skills to have in life.

What do you plan to do after graduation?
I am planning on attending graduate school to complete my master’s degree. I am currently deciding on the school I will attend.

A note of thanks:
Thank you to everyone who has helped me on my journey to where I am now and where I am going in my future. I could not be who I am today or have achieved what I have without the numerous people and communities who have helped me on the way.