Introduction to My Ag Journey

Hello everyone, my name is Abbie Smith and I am an Agricultural and Extension Education major at The Pennsylvania State University. I am excited yet worried about my future as an Agricultural Educator. I am hoping to one day become an excellent teacher-- someone that my students know they can come to if they are having problems in school. I know that it will take a lot of hard work to get to that point, but I am ready and willing to work towards this goal.

I’ve always known that I wanted to do something that helps people in a way, but I was never quite sure what to do. At first, I wanted to be a veterinarian, but I quickly decided that wasn’t for me. I doubt I’d have the stomach for it. I kicked around some other ideas as I got a little older: an architect, an environmental engineer, and even a wildlife conservation officer for a short amount of time. Later, during my time at the DuBois branch campus of The Pennsylvania State University, I realized that what I really wanted to do was share what I know and learn with other people. Originally, I wanted to do this as an Environmental Educator, and a part of me still does, but after I finished my associate degree in Wildlife Technology, I heard about the Agricultural and Extension Education major that Penn State offers.

Growing up, my school did not have an agriculture program, and my family and I were under the impression that 4-H was all about raising calves or pigs, so I did not get involved in the program. Until I’d gotten into college, I didn’t even know that there were schools that taught Agricultural Science. I’d just thought you learned how to farm from your family or through independent learning. Once I’d learned about the Agricultural and Extension Education major, I knew that this was what I wanted to do. I want to learn more about different agricultural processes and fields and teach students about this important part of our lives. I feel that everyone should at least have a basic understanding of the agricultural processes that make everyday life possible for us. There are many misconceptions about agriculture and many people who believe them. For instance, more than 10% of American adults think that chocolate milk comes from brown cows (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/15/seven-percent-of-americans-think-chocolate-milk-comes-from-brown-cows-and-thats-not-even-the-scary-part/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.af732521368e). While this may be an amusing thought, it obviously isn’t true. There are many other misconceptions about agriculture that if cleared up could help make our lives a little better.

I know what I want to do once I’m out of college, and I know some of the steps to get to that point. But at the same time, I know that I don’t know everything, and I probably never will. However, I am going to continue learning and growing to become the best person and educator that I can become. If anyone has any advice for me on how I can improve myself so that I can work towards my goal, I’d welcome any comments that you have.