Answer: Our country's history!
It’s President’s Day. Did you know that a great number of our Presidents have an agriculture background? George Washington, the first President of the United States of America, had a large tobacco plantation. Right here in Lexington we house the estate and farmland of the greatest man to never become President, Henry Clay. Thomas Jefferson owned the famed Monticello plantation. Who can forget about the peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia, Jimmy Carter! And while an education from the UK College of Agriculture cannot guarantee you’ll become President, it can definitely set the stage for a bright a future.
It’s President’s Day. Did you know that a great number of our Presidents have an agriculture background? George Washington, the first President of the United States of America, had a large tobacco plantation. Right here in Lexington we house the estate and farmland of the greatest man to never become President, Henry Clay. Thomas Jefferson owned the famed Monticello plantation. Who can forget about the peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia, Jimmy Carter! And while an education from the UK College of Agriculture cannot guarantee you’ll become President, it can definitely set the stage for a bright a future.
Agriculture
has moved in leaps and bounds from the traditional “plows, sows, and
cows.” Before writing agriculture off, I would suggest you take a second
look at the College of Ag at UK! UK Ag houses not only the
traditional Ag majors- animal science, horticulture, equine science, etc.- but
a variety of non-traditional agriculture majors as well. We have the
School of Human and Environmental Sciences which is home to Human Nutrition, Dietetics, Family Science, and Merchandising, Apparel, and Textiles. I bet you never expected to find
Merchandising, Apparel, and Textiles in the College of Ag; but that is
what’s so great about us- our variety! Our College of Ag graduates go on
to become buyers for major retail chains (Merchandising, Apparel, and
Textiles majors), family counselors, heads of non-profits, prominent Ag
economists, lawyers, doctors, pharmacists and so much more!
We
are still waiting for a graduate to become President, so you might
even set your sights on that! Speaking of, Community Communications and
Leadership Development (CLD for short) would be a great starting point
for presidential aspirations. This is my major, so I’m a little partial,
but we study what makes communities work and how to not only lead
yourself, but others! Leadership is a crucial skill in our ever growing
and changing workforce, and I feel confident that the leadership
training I have received as part of my undergraduate degree will help me
in all aspects of my life- not just my career path.
While
I don’t want to be president, I do want to make an impact. On campus
I’ve been involved in various student groups and some of my favorite
activities have centered around leadership. I participate in the Turner Leadership Academy, a leadership development program in which you
actually graduate with a certificate in Leadership- pretty cool and it
is open to all College of Ag majors! I also have attended UK Leadership
Summit and served as a peer facilitator for Summit. Summit brings all of
the student leaders across campus together at a retreat and we discuss
how we can make a positive impact in the UK community.
Community
service also has a big place in my heart and I love that it goes hand
in hand with my major. In my personal leadership development class at
UK, taught by a student favorite, Grace Gorrell, we were required to do a
community service project as a group. This not only taught us teamwork,
but the true value of servant leadership and serving others. I spend
time off campus volunteering at my church with the homeless community,
as well as with Alzheimer's and dementia families. I look forward to
integrating my love of leadership and community service into all of my
future endeavors. After I graduate, while I do not plan on moving into
the White House, I will be working on a campaign. Politics and the
College of Ag? Like I said, we are full of variety!
So
whether you know that you want to major in Ag from the start, or you
think the College of Ag is just not for you- come check us out anyway!
Chances are we have more opportunities than you had ever thought about!
To check out all of our majors, visit the UK College of Agriculture page!
Tatum is a senior at the University
of Kentucky, majoring in Community Communications & Leadership Development.
She is from Murray, Kentucky in Calloway County. She
is involved across campus with Alpha Phi, UK College Republicans, COA Agriculture
Ambassadors and plans to work on a political campaign upon graduation.
Good point Tatum! The College of Ag. does have more opportunities than people think. Agriculture is not about the traditional "cows, plows, and sows". I've been given so many opportunities through the College of Ag. that I never thought I would have. I love knowing that the College of Ag. has made an impact on you like it has on me!
ReplyDeleteThis is great, Tatum! Agriculture is so much more than the pictures of little more than subsistence farming that often come to mind. It is truly a field that allows people to help others by maintaining, improving, and/or efficiently using our resources.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Tatum. There are so many different programs in our College that it's hard not to find something for everyone. I didn't realize how many different fields the agricultural industry encompassed until I came to UK. Hopefully everyone can realize the value and variety in agriculture!
ReplyDeleteTatum I found the history lesson very interesting! I think that it is important for students to realize that agriculture is an important aspect of our daily lives, and that can be seen in the variety of majors within the college. I love the College of Agriculture and I think that most people can find a group to fit into here.
ReplyDelete