Nicole McMullen, a junior agriscience education major at The Ohio State University, has been selected to be a member of the Agriculture Future of American (AFA) Student Advisory Team. The Student Advisory Team is made up of 11 students from across the nation after a competitive application process.
AFA is a professional development organization for collegiate leaders and young professionals. Providing leader development, intern support and scholarships, AFA seeks to be a catalyst in the preparation of a new generation of agriculture leaders. A major component of the Student Advisory Team’s responsibilities is the planning and delivery of the 2021 AFA Leader Development Program, specifically the AFA Leaders Conference, held annually with more than 1,000 delegates from across the nation.
“Our department is extremely proud of Nicole for seeking out the opportunity to enhance her leadership skills with an organization like AFA,” said Dr. Shannon Washburn, professor and chair of the Department Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership. “Through her involvement with AFA, MANRRS and her internship experiences, she is preparing herself to be an outstanding agricultural educator to her future students.”
“I value the AFA leader development program because they provide a variety of opportunities to grow personally and professionally. These programs focus on having students look at things from a different perspective,” said McMullen. “I am excited to serve as an AFA student leader because I can network with individuals across the country. This will give me the opportunity to learn about the different aspects of the agriculture industry and gain a new perspective.”
McMullen’s entrance into the AFA leader development programs began in 2018 when she was selected to attend the AFA Leaders Conference as a freshman at the Ohio State ATI campus in Wooster, Ohio. Since then, she has attended the AFA Leaders Conference each year and participated in the AFA Leader Fellowship. In addition to her involvement with AFA, she has also been active in other organizations including Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS), Admissions Ambassador for Ohio State ATI Institute and the Ohio Corn & Wheat Association.
About agriscience education
Agriscience education is one of three undergraduate majors within ACEL. This major prepares students to acquire a license to teach agricultural science in secondary schools through extensive training in agriculture science, educational psychology, instructional methods and youth development. For additional information on the agriscience education major or how you can make a financial contribution to student scholarships, visit acel.osu.edu.
About AFA
AFA builds bridges for young leaders to foster engagement and innovation in food and agriculture. With program participation increasing 28% in the last five years, AFA has provided 21,000 leader development experiences to college leaders and young professionals from more than 200 colleges and universities throughout 43 states since its inception in 1996. AFA has awarded more than $10 million in academic and leader development scholarships. For more information about AFA, visit www.agfuture.org or contact Becca Frazier at becca.frazier@agfuture.org.