Author: Brittany Weller

Schaffter awarded American Degree

Paige Schaffter
sophomore
agriscience education

Schaffter with her American Degree

Simply put, my FFA experience has been incredible. The people I’ve met, the skills I have gained, and the fun that I’ve had are unlike any that another organization can provide students with. I had so much fun and wonderful experiences in FFA that I am a little sad to finally hang up my jacket, but I am excited to see what opportunities the FFA Alumni Association can provide me with, and what I can do for current members as an alum. Earning my American Degree really proves to me that I can accomplish anything that I set my mind to, and it is a huge honor to be proud of considering only 1% of FFA members receive the degree. It also makes me proud to be an Ohioan because we had the second most recipients compared to all other states. Additionally, the recipients of American Degrees at the 91st National Convention set a record for the most degrees awarded, so that is another thing to be proud of!

Schaffter with her family

Schaffter with her advisor

 

Schaffter with other American Degree Recipients

Intern Spotlight: Stollar interns Dairy Farmers of America

Marlee Stollar
junior
agricultural communication

Over the summer, I worked for Dairy Farmers of America at the Mideast Area office in Medina, Ohio. My position was the communication intern, which entailed assisting the communication associate with a variety of projects. Throughout the internship, I learned a great deal about writing, designing and working with others.

A major part of my internship was re-branding the member guide, the leadership directory, the employee manual and the hauler manual. I also assisted in the creation of a gold standard binder to give to members and a glossary of dairy industry terms for new employees. I completed other projects as well, such as a post card to be sent to members to encourage them to visit Farm Science Review. I really enjoyed becoming more experienced with Adobe InDesign through these projects.

I also had the opportunity to help plan a variety of office events for June Dairy Month. I helped to create flyers and signs for these events. I especially enjoyed World Milk Day, which is pictured. I also had the opportunity to create signs and a banner for the Mideast Area Leadership Conference, and attend that conference as well. There I helped with aspects of the event, such as registering members and employees for the conference. These experiences helped me to build my skills within event planning.

Writing and editing was also a skill I developed through my internship. I wrote an article for our newsletter and edited the newsletters as necessary. I also wrote for many of the projects I designed throughout my internship.

This summer I had a great experience with Dairy Farmers of America. The people were one of the favorite parts of my internship, along with the skills I expanded. I was thrilled to learn more about the dairy industry and to gain more skills as an agricultural communicator.

Marlee Stollar, agricultural communication

Stollar (right) with her co-works on World Milk Day

Stollar (Right) with other interns on their last day of work

Oglesby Studies Abroad in Australia

Meredith Oglesby
junior
agricultural communication

During May of 2018 I had the opportunity to travel to Australia on a program called Human Impacts on the Natural Environment. We left on May 7 and arrived to Australia on May 9, the flight from Los Angeles, California to Brisbane, Australia was around 13-14 hours. We then flew to Townsville where we spent the first part of our trip. Australia is fourteen hours ahead of Ohio so it took some time to recover from major jet lag.

Oglesby interacting with wildlife on Magnetic Island

The entire trip was focused on the environment and how Australia maintains a sustainable lifestyle. During our first week in Hidden Valley we were in the rainforest area where we learned about the history of the country and identified flora and fauna. We also spent a day learning about the aboriginals culture at Mungulla Station. We swam in Running River Gorge and hiked to Wallaman Falls, the largest sheer drop waterfall in Australia.

We spent one day in the aquarium in Townsville where we snorkeled and visited a sea turtle rehabilitation center. We then traveled to Magnetic Island where we did a research project on the Koloa population and saw these animals in the wild. They are endemic to Australia, meaning they are only found in this country. We even got to hold one! We also saw other wildlife on the island such as lorikeets and parrots. We also participated in a reef restoration project where we looked at how changing temperatures impacts the plants and life in the ocean.

Our next stop was Mission Beach where we had a free day to sleep in and explore the area. My favorite part of our stay here was when you walked to the beach you had to follow a path through the rainforest first. We weren’t able to swim in the ocean because it was Crocodile season!

Due to the location and size of the country the seasons and weather and very different than the United States during the month of May. This is there fall/winter seasons. For the majority of the trip we were in Northern Queensland where the temperature was in the high 70’s to 80’s. Although near the end of the trip 11 of us traveled to Sydney, which is in the southern part, where the weather was in the low 50’s. I didn’t realize that their weather could be so cold. In some areas in the winter months it will snow near the southern part near Melbourne.

We had the chance to experience the outback while we stayed in Chillagoe. We swam in a local spring fed creek, toured a cave, and learned about why the soil is red as well as how they manage the land with the air and soil being so dry. We also looked into the process of mining. My favorite part of staying in the outback was experiencing the sunsets every evening.

The next section of our trip focused on farming in Australia, with this we had the opportunity to stay with a host family in the Atherton Tablelands. My host family lived on a beef farm. We toured the farm and learned how they manage their farmland with portions of the rainforest being on their property. We also saw a 20 foot python! The family has to watch their livestock and dogs to ensure the snakes do not harm or attack these animals. We also had the chance to make fresh squeezed orange juice. Spending time with the family we learned about their culture and daily life. Much of their lifestyle is similar to Great Britain as they are part of the commonwealth.

We then traveled to Port Douglas where we learned all about the Great Barrier Reef! We had a day to learn about the zoning system that is put into place for businesses and recreational purposes. We also learned how to identify fish and coral species. We spent three days snorkeling on the reef learning all about the impacts humans have on ocean life. We had the chance to see clownfish, sharks, and sea turtles. During our last morning in Port Douglas we did a beach clean-up where we learned about the impacts plastic are having on ocean life.

Also, while in Port Douglas we went to a Wildlife Habitat where we had the chance to see some animals up close. We saw kangaroos, pelicans, crocodiles, and wallabys. My favorite was the cassowary. These are flightless birds similar to what would have been dinosaur species!

We spent our last day as a full group in Cairns where we were able to explore the city after we took our final. We went to the mall and walked on the board walk. This is where part of the group flew home and part of us flew to Sydney for about a day and a half.

While in Sydney the light show Vivid was going on. The whole city is lit up with bright lights and shows and activities. We had the chance to see Sydney Harbor Bridge, the Sydney Opera House. It was really fun to just explore and see the city. We went shopping in some of the stores and saw the different parts of the city.

Sydney light show

On the way back with all the time changes I lived June 8 for 41 hours! Through this trip I was able to learn more about the environment and ways to be more environmentally friendly. I also gain valuable friendships with people I wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for this trip. I am so thankful for the adventures I had every day and won’t forget them anytime soon!

Wallaman Falls

Sunset in the Outback

 

Oglesby (second from left) and her friends with their host mom

 

 

Intern Spotlight: Bauer interns with American Angus Association

Madeline Bauer
senior
agricultural communication

My name is Madeline Bauer and I am a 4th year studying agricultural communication with a minor in production agriculture. This summer I had the opportunity to work for the American Angus Association as an events and education intern.

Madeline Bauer at Junior Nationals in Madison, Wisconsin

Through my internship, I traveled to Maryland, South Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Montana. In the meantime, I lived in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Each trip was dedicated to something different. When I traveled to Maryland and back to Ohio the purpose was to attend regional Angus shows. My duties there was to keep an official book of all the placings and champions from each show. I also calculated the points to find the winners of the Herdsman and Premier Exhibitor.
I traveled to Charleston, South Carolina to attend the June Board meeting for the American Angus Association. This was one of my favorite trips as I got to act as a tour guide for all the spouses and children of the board members and employees. So while they sat in meetings all day I got to explore Charleston with the spouses and children. I took headcount on all the busses and was there to give updates on the plan for the day and ask any questions they might have and I executed the plan that was already in place every day.
Probably the biggest event of my summer was the National Junior Angus Show held in Madison, Wisconsin. I prepared all summer by organizing contest boxes, wrote Quiz Bowl tests and I made the entire Skill-A-Thon contest from scratch. At this show we had over 1,200 head of cattle come to Madison. I was in Wisconsin from July 2nd – 15th. There were numerous things I did in those two weeks but the main thing I did was facilitate the almost 20 contests that we have outside of the show ring. My job was to make sure the contest rooms were set-up, I prepared my judges on how to use the scoresheets and the rules of the contest. I had to know the rules of each contest like the back of my hand because I was the contact person for parents, exhibitors, and judges who may have questions about the contests.
Last but not least I ended the summer with a trip to Billings, Montana for the annual LEAD conference. This was a conference for junior members to attend to learn from industry professionals and view different Angus facilities. At this event, we attended a few different bull testing facilities and ranches. I had never been this far west and I can say that Montana is truly breathtaking. I see why they call it the Big Sky state!
Overall, I truly loved my experience at the American Angus Association and can say that my time there made me a better professional and prepared me for my future career in so many ways.

Bauer (left) at Junior Nationals with other interns

Bauer (left) with another intern

Intern Spotlight: Lininger interns with OSU Extension, Marion County

Joanna Lininger
senior
agricultural communication

This summer, my final internship was with OSU Extension Marion County. My mentor was ACEL graduate, Margo Long. Prior to this internship my only knowledge of OSU Extension was its role in 4-H, but through this experience I had the chance to learn its many other functions. I started working at the Marion County Extension office on June 4, 2018 with an internship orientation at the 4-H Center on The Ohio State University campus in Columbus. After the training day, I jumped right in to working on projects and assignments from Margo. I wrote lesson plans for activities that were completed at the Cloverbud Day Camp, painted the picture frames given to the Cloverbuds and created examples of crafts to show the Cloverbuds. During my first week, I was able to attend meetings with Margo including a Marion County Senior Fair Board meeting, a camp counselor meeting and a meeting with the director of the new Children’s Museum in Marion. The next week I was able to assist in running the Cloverbud Day Camp.

My next project was designing and implementing the STEM at the Fair activities that took place during the Marion County Fair. Running a project from start to finish was a great experience. Some of the activities included making paper airplanes, making straw rockets, playing with robots, making salsa, playing with VR and making meditation bottles.  I coordinated the STEM at the Fair activities each day of the fair and assisted with any other tasks around the fair needing attention. I had so much fun getting to interact with the youth at the Marion County Fair.I got to know many amazing 4-H members, families in the community, and Junior and Senior Fair Board members throughout the week. I made a lot of memories during the fair and got the chance to learn in the process.

After the fair, there were only ten days until we left for Marion County 4-H Camp held at Camp Ohio. I had never been to Camp Ohio, so it was a whole new camp experience for me.  Working with the campers, counselors and adult staff was a real pleasure. Also, I had the privileged of putting together the end of camp video. There were a few late nights of work, but I would not have traded the experience for anything. I will forever be grateful for the opportunities that I had at the 2018 Marion County 4-H Camp.

When we returned from camp, I had the chance to help the other educators in our office as well as the SNAP-ED team. It was enlightening to see the different sides of what Extension does to help farmers as well as other community members. Working with OSU Extension Marion County was an amazing experience that I would recommend to anyone. I am thankful to have gotten to spend the summer with a dedicated mentor and meet many wonderful people throughout my internship.

 

Joanna Lininger, agricultural communication

Lininger working with youth

 

Lininger working an activity with 4-H’ers

 

 

 

Jenkins Interns With Ohio Pork Council

Hello fellow Buckeyes! My name is Mary Jenkins and I am a senior in ACEL studying Agricultural Communication with a minor in Spanish. This past summer, I had the opportunity to intern with the Ohio Pork Council (OPC) in New Albany, Ohio.

When searching for an internship last spring, I immediately went to Hire-A-Buckeye (now known as Handshake), where I had found my previous internship. The application and interview process were relatively easy and I had a great experience with both of them. Prior to this internship, I had some knowledge of the pork industry, as I  lived on a hog farm and showed market hogs for 10 years at the Champaign County Fair in Urbana, Ohio. However, there was still much to learn!

Throughout this summer, I primarily worked on communication projects, whether it be press releases, content for the quarterly publication Ohio Porkline, creating graphics, or designing a magazine insert. I loved getting to apply what I had learned in previous courses, like AGRCOMM 4310 or COMM 2221, and seeing how much of a difference there was between course work and projects for an organization. This internship made me even more confident that I had made the right decision to major in Agricultural Communication and eager to begin my career.

In addition to those responsibilities, I also spent a few days in Des Moines, Iowa, where I attended the National Pork Board intern training and the World Pork Expo. It was great to see how my work related to what was happening on a national level and to experience a global agricultural event. One of my final projects of the internship was spending time working at the 2018 Ohio State Fair, where I served as assistant manager of OPC’s food stands. My day-to-day responsibilities included training volunteers, counting money, or running supplies from one stand to another. Although not directly related to communication, there were still many transferable skills I gained from this experience, like time management, organization, and attention to detail.

All in all, my time as a communications intern with the Ohio Pork Council was a wonderful experience! I learned so much about communication and the pork industry that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to experience had it not been for this internship. If anyone is interested, I encourage them to apply next spring, or to keep their eye out for any internships that might interest them. You never know what you might gain from an experience outside of the classroom.

Mary Jenkins, agricultural communication

Hulse studies sustainability and policy in Prague

Jane Hulse
junior
agricultural communication

There are a lot of amazing opportunities to study abroad in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. This past summer I was able to participate in one such opportunity, traveling abroad to Prague with the Czech Republic: Sustainability and Agricultural Policy in the EU program.

I first learned about this program when researching classes and opportunities in the International Economic Development program, which is one of my minors. The study abroad program would not only count for six credits towards my minor but would also enable me to really experience the international part of the International Economic Development minor.
The program ran from May 11, 2018, to June 9, 2018. The first day was mostly taken up with travel. After nearly 13 hours of airports and flights, I arrived in Prague and was picked up at the airport by our group leader and some of the Czech students who would be guiding us during our stay. We went back to the hotel and had some time to rest before going to dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Over the next few weeks we took classes at the Czech University of Life Sciences and got to tour the city and see some of the major monuments, such as Prague Castle. We slowly became accustomed to using the extensive public transportation system to get where we wanted to go, and ate at the same Vietnamese restaurant at least once a week. We also had the opportunity to see other parts of the Czech Republic outside of Prague. We went on excursions to South Bohemia and Moravia to see and learn about different industries and farms. We went on a 16 mile hike up and down a mountain in Moravia, which was one of my favorite activities. Another of my favorite things was the weekend we spent doing family stays with the Czech buddies. My buddy took my roommate and me to her family cottage in South Bohemia where we saw places like Hluboká Castle, a healing spring that was fabled to have healed the blind, the ruins of Pořešín Castle, and several beautiful forests that we hiked through. The last day, we had a farewell dinner where everyone was given a graduation certificate and some printed photos to take home with us.

My month in the Czech Republic went by very quickly, and I was sorry to go when there was still so much more to see. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in the program, and it is good to know that there are so many remarkable study abroad experiences available in the College. In fact, I will be participating in another this upcoming winter break; I will be traveling to Antarctica to study the human impact on a fragile environment.

Hulse learning about tractors in Prague.

Prague Study Abroad Group.

 

Hulse (right) poses in Prague.

Intern Spotlight: Oglesby interns with OSU Extension, Highland County

Meredith Oglesby
junior
agricultural communication

During the summer of 2018 I had the opportunity to intern with The Ohio State University Extension in Highland County. I worked closely with our county extension agent to prepare for 4-H camps, summer judging and the Highland County Fair.

I worked a large part to plan Clover Fun Day. The theme this year was “Down on the Farm with 4-H.” I worked to create name tags, design t-shirts, and ensure we had all the supplies needed for the activities and meals. I also worked with the Highland County Junior Leaders who are the members who are in charge of the event. It was fun to design and create all the materials needed for the day.

Summer judging takes place in July which is where the cooking, sewing, and several other special interest projects are judged. I helped to write the press releases for the awards ceremony, crafted the packets for the first-place winners, worked closely to ensure all the scoresheets and folders had the scoresheets and questions for each project. I helped to create the state fair packets for the members who qualified for state fair. I loved learning about projects I had no idea existed and working on my communication and writing skills.

While in the office I interacted with those who came into the office for different needs. I answered the phones, learned how to balance and work with money for different items sold, and filed papers. I also designed and wrote the monthly newsletter entitled “Highland Happenings.” I learned more about working with branding guidelines.

During the final weeks of my internship I worked to prepare materials for the Highland County Fair which is the week of Labor Day. I copied and prepared scoresheets and questions for the judges. I also worked to create a schedule for special interest judging at the fair.

Interning with extension was a fun experience to learn to design and create different marketing materials and work to gain skills in the communication field.

 

Meredith (far right) with 4-H participants.

ACEL Upperclassmen Q&A

Some of our first year students had a few questions. We asked two upperclassman – Sydney Snider, a senior studying agricultural communication, and Brittany Weller, a junior studying agriscience education – these questions and below are their responses!

What would be your best first year student advice?

Sydney Snider: Everyone says it, but get involved! Find some things that interest you and get engaged with them right away. Also, don’t be afraid to make friends inside of class. Having friends to study with and talk through class concepts with is really nice!

Brittany Weller: Don’t be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone and get involved! Find your fit and fuel your passions. You get the opportunity to meet great people and make great memories. It makes Columbus and Ohio State seem a lot less “scary”.

What is your favorite place to eat on or close to campus?

Snider: There are lots of places not far from campus that are great. If you like sushi, I’d suggest checking out Fusion. I’d also suggest checking our Bibibop. Both are on High Street. The Short North has some great places to eat and isn’t too far from campus. It’s a great place to take your parents when they visit or if you’re looking for something a little less casual. Columbus is a foodie city – take advantage of that and explore!

Weller: The options in Columbus are endless. High Street has a lot of great options that can never go wrong. If you go downtown you can find some unique places like Schmidt’s and The Thurman Cafe. I enjoy Piada, Roosters, and of course, Canes

What is the most popular organization in ACEL?

Snider: I don’t know if there is a “most popular” organization in ACEL, but both Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow and Ag Ed Society are great organizations to get involved with. It doesn’t matter your major, if you care about agriculture and either communicating that message or educating others, than either organization is great to join! I would highly recommend attending the first few meetings of both to see if it would be a good fit for you.

Weller: Agricultural Education Society and Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow are the two most “popular” organizations in the ACEL Department. These two organizations are awesome ones to get involved in! You don’t have to be an ACEL student, as long as you have an interest in educating and communicating about agriculture, these two organizations would love to have you! You may find your fit in one of these clubs.

What is a good way to stay on top of school work?

Snider: Prioritize and keep a calendar that lists due dates! Don’t procrastinate. If you want to turn in good, quality work then start on projects with plenty of time to review and ask professors or teaching assistants for help before it is due. Dedicate a couple hours each week to working on assignments and studying for exams. Again – don’t procrastinate!

Weller: Planning and organization are key! Buy yourself a nice planner, and organize your days and assignments. Plan ahead, because the days go by so quickly. Exams come a lot quicker than what you think. Try to stay up to date with assignments and don’t wait until the last minute, you’ll thank yourself later.

What is a good place to hang out between classes?

Snider: When it’s nice outside, I enjoy sitting in Chadwick Arboretum to work on assignments, eat lunch or just hang out for a bit before class. When Ohio winter’s hit, I usually hang out in Ag. Admin because I always see people I know and can find good spots to get work done!

Weller: I can always be found in Ag Admin. For me, Ag Admin is a comfy place where you can hang out, you can study, or get food. It’s also a place where everyone goes, so you can find someone to know. I also enjoy going over to Parker Food Science and Technology building- they have ice cream, which is great on warm days!

Do you have questions for our upperclassmen? Email your questions to acel@osu.edu. All questions will be shared anonymously.

Alumni Spotlight: Jeffrey Carpenter ’03

 
Jeffrey Carpenter graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education in 2003. After teaching agricultural education for several years, Carpenter now serves as an assistant principal for the Ohio Central School System and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
[ACEL]: Hi Jeffrey! Why did you select to major in agricultural education?
[Carpenter]: I selected my major of agricultural education, because of the leadership an encouragement of Ron Fuller, my high school agricultural education teacher and Dr. Michael Borger, OSU ATI Beef professor.
Why did you choose to attend The Ohio State University?
I attended the Ohio State University and The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute because of the great professionals and because it is THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY! Is there really any other university?
How did your education at Ohio State influence your career path?
The Ohio State University influenced me to always go above and beyond in helping educate students. I may not be in agricultural education at a public school, but helping individuals who are incarcerated to gain employment and passing on the knowledge and life skills I have learned is very rewarding.
What were you involved in as an Ohio State student?
I was involved in Delta Theta Sigma Fraternity and Ohio State Horseman’s Association. I also participated in Little Internationa,l where I was able to win the horse showmanship with Ohio State’s stallion, The Flashiest Zip Yet.  My jobs included working at OSU ATI Library and as a part of the Ohio State ATI beef research team. When I went to the Columbus campus I worked for Dr. Alecia Larew-Naugle with Ohio State’s Veterinary Preventative Medicine. Then I was able to complete an internship at OSU meat with Dr. Henry Zerby.
What classes did you enjoy the most while at Ohio State? What was your favorite and why?
I have two  classes that I have very fond memories.  The animal judging class with Dr. Borger. I enjoyed it because Dr. Borger and Joe Lit made the class fun and it was hands on. The second class was the capstone class with Dr. Zartman. I really enjoyed the animal welfare and animal right class. I guess because of the debates!
 
What professor, faculty or staff member had an impact on your education/career? How?
I would say each and every professor at Ohio State has had an impact on my life. However, if it wasn’t for Dr. Michael Borger, I am not for sure I would have changed my major to agricultural education. You see, it was being selected to be on the Ohio State ATI beef research team that allowed Dr. Borger to see my skills and push me to teach.
What is your favorite memory related to your time at Ohio State?
Oh my, this would have to be spending time with my fellow brothers at DTS and great friends in Ohio State Horseman’s Association.
What was your first job following your education at Ohio State?
My first job after graduating Ohio State was teaching animal processing and large and small animal veterinary science at Preston County Schools in Kingwood, West Virginia along with being the farm manager. Dr. Alecia Larew-Naugle called me and encouraged me to apply for the position. It was a great fit!
Where has your career taken you over the past 15 years?
I have worked for Preston County Schools and Vinton County Schools as an agricultural education instructor. Today, I am a shared service area assistant principal for Ohio Central School System and Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, along with being the owner operator of Carpenters Quarter Horses LLC.
 
During your career, have you received any awards or honors? If so, what are those?
I have had the honor of being part of the team of agricultural educators that was honored in having the top Secondary Agricultural Education Program in West Virginia and North Eastern US. The team of Ron Wilson, Beth (Roberts) Myers, Laah Wolford and myself were honor with that great distinction at Preston County Schools in Kingwood, WV.
As of today, what is your favorite career highlight?
As of today, my great highlights have always been seeing my students succeed.
What advice would you give to a current student?
First piece of advice I would give would be, anything worthwhile is worth doing right. Secondly I would say to take a chance and take positions that challenge you.