Final Project Overview
For the CFAES Global Option Capstone Course, I am required to do a final paper and presentation on a topic of my choice. I chose to focus on Agricultural Extension in Africa for my paper and presentation (see below for a link to my presentation). As I have mentioned, I want to work in extension in Africa in the future, so this paper topic was very interesting to me. Also, I only knew a brief overview about African extension before this paper and I wanted to understand more of the details and areas for improvement. Overall, I found that agricultural extension in Africa is moving more towards a combination of public and private delivery systems, instead of just the public system. Extension needs to be farmer focused and cover what the farmers need and want. Collaborations and communication is key in the world of extension. Extension systems in Africa have come a long way, but there is still a long way to go.
Global Option Pecha Kucha Presentation
Final Project Reflection
This final paper and presentation did require a lot of research and focused reading. However, I am very glad that we were required to do this paper, because I learned so much about African extension that I would not have learned otherwise. For me, big projects and papers can seem very overwhelming. However, once I get started on a project it becomes much more manageable.
At the beginning of this semester when we were picking topics for our big project, I was wondering if agricultural extension in Africa would be too broad of a topic. However, I did not find that to be the case. Yes, Africa is extremely diverse and is made up of many countries. However, the extension systems of different countries can have a lot of similarities and overall needs for improvement. I am glad that I picked the topic that I did and did not change my topic at all.
Global Option Final Reflection/Accomplishments
Overall, I am very glad that I was able to participate in the first ever CFAES Global Option and be recognized for internationalizing my college career. I am excited to see where this program will go in the future and I hope that there will be a lot of investment and involvement from students. Completing the Global Option is not easy, but it is worth it. It is so important to have international competency and experience. The Global Option Capstone Class has had a lot of bumps along the way, but we are all learning from them.
The CFAES Global Option gave me a totally new perspective and confirmed my desire to live and work in a developing country in the future. I am thankful to go to such a large university so that I can have access to the international experience that I want. It has been great to go through the capstone course with other students as well, because I have definitely learned from the other students and have enjoyed hearing their passions and experiences. If a student is on the fence about pursing the Global Option, I would greatly encourage them to do it!