The Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership (ACEL) has named 13 students to the 2022 class of ACEL Outstanding Seniors. These students were selected by the faculty and staff of the department for their excellence both in and out of the classroom. Madilyn Youngpeter, an agricultural communication major from Findlay, Ohio, was named as one of ACEL’s Outstanding Seniors for 2022.
Read about Madilyn’s Ohio State experience below.
Why did you choose your major?
When I started at Ohio State, I did not have a full grasp on what I wanted to major in. Thanks to some awesome professors at ATI and taking some agricultural communications classes, I realized what I was learning aligned with my passions so things started falling into place. I love my major and all the possibilities that are available to me.
Why did you choose to attend Ohio State?
I moved close to ATI so I figured I would apply there while transferring from my previous college. I honestly went in not knowing much about the school or offerings but instantly fell in love.
What classes did you enjoy the most?
My intro to Ag.Comm class with Mrs. Ramsier, she is so fun and is passionate about what she teaches and that reflects into us, Shari Peart, she helped me and so many others get over our fears of public speaking in speech class. On main campus, I loved Tom Stewarts PR class and Dr. Specht’s design class.
What student organizations were you involved in and did you hold any leadership roles?
Growing up I took all sorts of livestock and still projects in 4H, including horses, dogs, sheep, photography, cooking and more. I was a part of Junior Fairboard, was my county fair princess, and was a part of our judging and hippology teams. At Ohio State, I am a part of Towers Agricultural Honorary, where we do service projects across Franklin County and central Ohio.
What internships did you complete and what were your responsibilities/projects as an intern?
I was fortunate to have one internship with the Youth Equestrian Development Association (YEDA). I interned my whole junior year and was able to come back this year. I do social media, help at shows and work anywhere I am needed.
What do you plan to do after graduation?
I would love to get into a career in branding, marketing, or public relations. All three things interest me as I love working with people to make ideas come to life.
What stands out as your best college memory?
Probably all the times I had at ATI, unless you went there, you would not understand how close we were and the crazy happenings and inside jokes.
How did the pandemic impact your college experience? Is there anything you missed because of it?
The pandemic impacted essentially my whole Ohio State experience. I came in as a transfer sophomore fall of 2019, completed my first semester at ATI and was halfway through my second semester when the world shut down. I missed out my whole junior year due to things being online, and fast forward to this past fall semester when I started my senior year, first semester in Columbus, and first in person classes in almost two years. I feel like I missed so many traditions because of COVID happening right in the middle of my transition to Columbus. While it was tough, thankfully the professors and faculty members at both campuses were extremely helpful and made the process as smooth as it could be.