This week’s In the Field Friday is Paige Schaffter from Edon, Ohio. Paige graduated from ATI this past spring with her associate of science degree in Agriscience Education. She is spending 
the summer working for the Williams County Extension Office before heading to Columbus to finish her bachelor’s degree.
A typical day for Paige consists of anything 4-H related. She contacts judges for Miscellaneous, Food, Clothing, and Livestock interviews and competitions. She also is in charge of finding volunteers for various events throughout the summer. Paige also works with the 4-H extension educator and the program assistant for everything camp related.
This is Paige’s second summer working for the extension office. What she enjoys most about working for the extension office is watching everybody compete at different judging events and watching them succeed in a project area with big smiles on their faces! Paige went on to talk about her time at ATI and how being exposed to different groups of people helped her expand her people skills:
“My experiences at ATI truly helped me in this job by exposing me to a variety of people. Some families don’t show livestock at the fair and are in 4-H for the still projects. Had I not gone to ATI, I would not have experienced interacting with individuals that don’t know a lot or anything about livestock or agriculture. After attending ATI, I can effectively and efficiently interact with individuals with all types of backgrounds and differing levels of agricultural literacy.”
When it came to giving advice to future students, Paige was quick to say get out of your comfort zone. “I would tell incoming students to get comfortable doing things outside your comfort zone. If you’re pretty shy, go out of your way to make a friend in one of your classes, or join a club. Yes, college is about earning a degree and learning a lot inside the classroom, but what makes it truly enjoyable is the experiences you have with some of your favorite people outside of the classroom.”
Paige’s final advice for everyone is to, “Make friends, be a nice person, and always make time for some fun stuff. College is a completely new start where hardly anyone knows you, so take this time to figure out the type of person you want to be, and form habits that help mold you into your ideal person. Also, don’t be afraid to try. Just talking to people or showing an interest in a company or position can land you a pretty cool job! Study hard, have fun, meet lots of people, and do whatever makes you come alive and sets your soul on fire!!!”