Tori Thomas-Dunton came to Ohio State from her hometown of Conesville, Ohio in the fall of 1986 to major in agricultural communication. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 1990 and now resides in Acme, Pennsylvania where she is an independent contractor for A to Z Promotions as an account executive.
Read our conversation below about her time as an Ohio State Buckeye.
[ACEL]: Hi Tori! You majored in agricultural communication as a student at Ohio State. Why?
[Thomas-Dunton]: I chose agricultural communication because I had a desire to write for an agricultural publication.
Out of all the colleges available, why did you chose to attend Ohio State?
I chose Ohio State because I wanted to be a Buckeye and they were the best choice for an agricultural degree.
Did you have any favorite classes while you were a student?
A few classes that I really enjoyed were Ag Econ 101 with Dr. Glenn Himes. He made the class enjoyable with fun projects and stories. My agricultural communication classes with both Dr. Agunga and Dr. Paulson were also favorites because they helped fuel my passion for writing.
Ohio State gives students a lot of opportunities for involvement. Did you participate in any activities outside of the classroom?
I began as a writer for the AgriNaturalist magazine and became editor for the Autumn 1990 publication. I was an ACT (Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow) member. I completed an internship with Milgrom and Associates, an event marketing firm responsible for attaining sponsorship for The Ohio State Fair. I also worked at Jesse Owens North Recreation Center, Ohio Agricultural Statistics and Lazarus department store.
Do you have any favorite memories from your time at Ohio State?
When I was the editor for the AgriNaturalist, we worked through the night to complete it for publication. I even grabbed a couple hours sleep on Dr. Robert Agunga’s office floor.
After you completed your education at Ohio State, what was your first job following graduation?
I worked in sales at an AM/FM radio stations in southwestern Pennsylvania.
How does your education at Ohio State help you in your current position?
My current job is not in the agricultural industry, but I do have agricultural companies that are my customers. Because of my agricultural background and education at Ohio State, it is easier for me to search for the right products to fit their needs.
What advice would you give to a current student?
Get involved inside and outside the classroom! Meet new people and soak up new experiences. Those connections that you make now may lead you to a future job or career.