Month: June 2024

How 4-H Led Me to my Major

Written By Adrianna Meyer

During spring of my second-grade year, my mom enrolled my brother and me in 4-H as Cloverbud members, with hopes that we would stay in the organization and develop lifelong skills that would benefit us throughout the years. Remaining as a member in 4-H was an easy choice for me as I knew it involved agriculture and I have been around some aspect of that industry since the day I was born. When I was young, my dad grew crops and raised cattle, and my mom raised goats.  

When I started out in 4-H as a project-taking member, I only took Boer goat projects for three years. With some encouragement from my mom, I began taking “still projects,” which are projects that do not require an animal. My first still project was about the genealogy of my family.  

I continued to add on these projects every year since 2016 and it led me to gain the courage to join clubs and councils that had a large focus on leadership. 4-H has led me to multiple national trips, including Atlanta, GA and Washington, D.C., as well as multiple honors, such as being inducted into the 2023 Ohio 4-H Teen Hall of Fame and serving as president of the Ohio 4-H Teen Leadership Council. 

When I realized that I wanted to be involved in 4-H as my future career, it was a natural choice for me to major in community leadership at Ohio State ATI, with a specialization in Extension education. Knowing that I am a role model and resource for so many individuals that I have impacted throughout my years of involvement solidified my major choice for me. 4-H has allowed me to find great joy when interacting and educating others on topics within agriculture and STEM. My lifelong career goal is to be involved in an agricultural organization or Extension where I am educating, advocating, and cultivating the next generation of leaders that will take our spots one day.  

In The Field Friday: Molly McGuire

Written By Lexi Troyer

Molly McGuire, an upcoming sophomore at Ohio State ATI, is spending her summer interning at Brookside Laboratories in New Bremen, Ohio, to learn more about what her agronomy major entails. Molly chose this internship to gain experience with the laboratory side of agronomy. She says, “Last summer I interned with an agronomist doing a lot of soil sampling. I wanted to gain experience and see the different perspective of what happens after the soil sample is taken.”

A typical day for Molly starts with arriving at Brookside Laboratories around 7a.m. She then finds the lab manager to get her tasks for the day. Molly notes, “I work a lot in production, which means grinding and organizing soil samples. I also work in our filter room, cleaning the many filters that soil samples go through. I also will unpack lawn samples.” Molly recognizes one of the most interesting things she has learned thus far in her internship is how a sample is processed. She states, “It’s interesting to take a giant bag of soil and then only need about a quarter size of the sample for filtering and processing.”

When asked how this internship experience has shaped her perspective on the industry she is interested in, Molly shares, “This internship has really made me realize how big the network is surrounding Brookside Laboratories.” Molly then talks about certain consultants she has known since a young age, getting samples at Brookside Labs from overseas, and remarking that so many people know about Brookside Labs—that it is more than just a lab in New Bremen, Ohio.

Looking ahead, Molly is eager to get through the busy season of May—June with her team. She says, “Everyone is sending in their spring soil samples during this time. I look forward to watching how my managers handle this busy season and learning from them.”

Finding Balance: A Guide to Working Two Jobs in College

Written By Becca Staley

For a lot of students, the transition from high school life to college can be a bit challenging and overwhelming. It can be even more overwhelming to find a job that fits a college student’s busy and hectic schedule. However, it’s all about finding balance and making things work. For me personally, I have an on-campus student job and an off-campus job as well, and I’m going to tell you how I make things work, even though having two jobs gives me less time to do other important things that come with college. 

I work as a student ambassador in the admissions office at Ohio State ATI. My hours are catered around my class schedule, and my supervisors always understand other obligations that may arise in connection with classes or other on-campus events. As a student ambassador, I get to do many things that other students don’t have the ability to do. I get to interact with prospective students and their families, have a behind-the-scenes look at the admissions process, help make content for social media pages, and plan for large groups of highschoolers to visit our campus.  

In terms of my off-campus job, I work at a local small business called Wooster Nutrition. I work a couple days a week when I have a large enough break in my class schedule to work a worthwhile shift. With great communication, my bosses are extremely understanding that I’m a full-time college student, and that my schooling comes first. When business is slow, I can catch up or get ahead on some of my college assignments.  

Overall, having two jobs on top of a full class schedule can become too much at times, but for the most part, it has been nothing but rewarding. I have the chance to stay busy all the time, while also having financial stability. I use my short breaks in my schedule to stay caught up on assignments and studying, so I can use my evenings to relax and hang out with my friends. At the end of the day, college can be a huge adjustment, but always remember why you took the leap to do it and just have fun!