The Value of an Agricultural Degree

There has been much discussion the past few days about the value and worth of a degree in agriculture.  A popular website ran a piece in its Education section detailing a listing of “useless college degrees.”  Many of our alumni, faculty, staff and students responded with their views on the true worth of a degree in agriculture.  We applaud the agriculture community for coming to the defense of the sector.

Agriculture careers make up one in four jobs in the United States.  As many know, the agriculture industry is as widely diverse as the people in this country.  Nearly every aspect of daily life has a connection to agriculture and it is one of the career tracks where there is always opportunity to adapt.  Reports  like the “Employment Opportunities for College Graduates in Food, Renewable Energy, and the Environment, United States, 2010-2015” (http://www.ag.purdue.edu/usda/employment/pages/default.aspx), put out by the United States Department of Agriculture, paint a different picture than the article in question did yesterday.  At the UK College of Agriculture, 90 percent of our graduates reported they had a full time job, part-time job or were pursuing an advanced degree in the 2010-2011 exit survey.

The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture supports students going to college and earning their degree, whether that be in agriculture, human environmental sciences, or any program in the country.  There has never been a better time for students to step up to the challenges of an increasing world population, economic recovery, or simply to make a difference in their community than now.  Agriculture needs students who can rise to these challenges and commit to making a difference.  Colleges of agriculture around the country are the perfect places for young minds and young leaders to enroll and begin making the difference today.  The jobs are there, as are the opportunities. 

Dr. Scott Smith                                                          Jason Headrick

Dean                                                                          Director of Student Relations

University of Kentucky                                               University of Kentucky

College of Agriculture                                                College of Agriculture

Winter Event tells the tale of UKAg

     Happy New Year to you all!  A new year means a little redesign of our blog appearance.

     Classes start tomorrow and it will be good to once again have students around to fill the hallways with the hustle and bustle of student life.  It's exciting to see the students well rested from their holiday break and ready for another great semester.  Just because it's the beginning of the semester doesn't mean that it's slow around here.  Students are already talking about classes they are taking, conferences and trips they are going to, DanceBlue (UK's 24-hour student ran dance marathon), and maybe even a possible NCAA Championship from both our men and women's basketball teams!

     We've been busy in the College of Agriculture as well.  Our annual Winter Event was over the weekend.  Our Ag & HES Alumni Association did a great job of providing an event for our alumni and friends to gather and celebrate the many good programs and accomplishments of the College and other fellow alumni.  President Capilouto stopped by to bring greetings and also took time to meet with some of our admitted students for Fall 2012 who were at the event.

     Speaking of these prospective/ admitted students, we were proud to host 41 students and their families over the course of the weekend here at UKAg.  We invited admitted students back in December and these families came to campus for what we hope was a good and informative time.  I know we had a great time with them.  These students were from Kentucky, Illinois, Georgia, Ohio and Tennessee and all of them brought a passion for their intended major and for learning more about UK.

      The students met with faculty members representing our undergraduate programs, learned about scholarships (the deadline is January 15th for College of Agriculture freshman scholarships), financial aid, housing, our College's Turner Leadership Academy, the process behind advising conferences and about our Agriculture Residential College.  Our student ambassadors took them on a tour and then they came back to a portion of the program we call, "The First Lecture Series."  A few of our always excellent faculty members presented snippets of their research and work to the students to give them a preview about topics and experiences they might encounter while being a student at UK.  Dr. Mark Williams discussed sustainability and our sustainable agriculture program.  Dr. David Williams talked about green energy and the impact that a few projects UK is working on could be in the long run for bioenergy.  Finally, Dr. Lori Garkovich talked about building community and what that means across the spectrum. 

     Our campus guests got to eat a great dinner with our Ag & HES Alumni Association board and some of our administrators.  This is always a great networking opportunity for the students and the alumni.  I hope everyone enjoyed the Kentucky bourbon bread pudding as much as I did.

The Parent Session at Winter Event

     Aside from the Winter Event meal and the Wildcat win in the basketball game, my favorite part of the program is what happens on the morning of day two of our admitted student program.  We have Parent/Student sessions and we separate the two groups from one another.  The first hour I spent with the parents while our student ambassadors were with the students- and then the ambassadors and I switch.  Why do I like this part so much?  It's great to hear the questions that the two groups ask without one another.  The don't have to worry about embarrassing their child with questions about safety or classes, and the students don't have to worry about wanting to learn more about social life and how to balance newfound freedom. 

     This has always been one of my favorite events to host in the College.  I like how these students come together to learn more about UK and leave with a greater sense of what it means to be a Wildcat from all levels: a student, a faculty or staff member and an alumni of the Big Blue Nation.  I've seen roommates, boyfriends/girlfriends, and great UK connections form from this program.  If you think about it, it's pretty telling of what your experience here at UK in the College of Agriculture will be.  A great education in a great environment with great people. 
     And that's a great way to start the new year. I can't imAGine a better way.

Jason Headrick, '02
Director of Student Relations

Special Thanks to Kelli Long for her blog header design!                                   

Happy Holidays to the Big Blue Nation!

This one was just fun and captures everything that a UK fan has been going through the past 26 years with our football woes against the University of Tennessee- until this year.  UK defeated Tennessee by a score of 10-7 and the streak ended.  

The University music programs held a Holiday Collage and the GrassKats (bluegrass music, of course) performed this song and we had to share.  It is sure to be a Wildcat classic.  To truly appreciate it, you have to be in the holiday mood, and be a part of the Big Blue Nation.  But if you stumble upon it, it's clever and original!   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxfbDFSge8w&feature=youtu.be&noredirect=1

Hope you and your family have a great holiday season and a great start to 2012!  We'll be back in the new year with all kinds of great things!

GO CATS!

The Alumni Take on Finals Week (and beyond)

It’s finals week. As a college student the past 4 years, this week was one of excitement, depression and panic.

Now, as I sit in my office at the Nelson County Extension Office- it’s just another week. When I get a break, I check out my friend’s social media posts and read about them staying out too late last night and having to study all day today. I read about how they just went to Walmart in their PJs to get some colored pencils for their final project. Sometimes it’s 1:00 in the afternoon and I read that they’ve just woken up. That’s when the jealousy kicks in. I worked late last night but this morning, I had to wake up, dress nice, and be in the office ready to roll. I have to answer phone calls and handle questions and remember to mail out the newsletter. I have to report every move I make 15 different times in 20 different places.

Sound terrible?  It isn’t.

I worked late last night with some awesome co-workers looking at other extension offices because we’re about to remodel ours. I woke up this morning and got to dress nice. Surprisingly, once you graduate, you’ll remember how much you enjoy making yourself look presentable. While sweat pants and ponytails are comfortable and convenient, a skirt and cute flats bring on compliments I rarely remember getting in the halls of Ag North. When I got to the office this morning, there were cookies on the counter and Christmas tunes on the radio. I sat in the front office with my secretaries for the first 15 minutes laughing about nothing. A pretty good way to start the day if you ask me.

It’s only 10:00 a.m. and I’ve already updated the webpage, answered a few questions about our barn quilt program, mailed some information to some people and am flipping through pictures of a craft day I did last week with some really awesome little kids. I’m currently looking at buying a house, I just got a new car and I haven’t eaten Ramen noodles since I walked across the big stage and shook the Dean’s hand to get my little piece of paper. 

Do I miss college? Yes. I can’t lie and say the big girl world is always better. But do I love the real world? You bet. There’s something about walking into your own office that instills a sense of pride like nothing else can, finally being seen as a respected co-worker instead of a young college kid. I get to plan classes and programs to help families and kids improve their nutrition, finances and way of life. I get to go to schools, other counties and other states. Two weeks ago, I taught kids how to save money and helped them decorate piggy banks to take home. Last Wednesday, I had a class teaching 23 women how to make snowmen decorations out of yarn. I GET PAID TO MAKE SNOWMEN. Does it get much better?  

The best part about what I do? I’m using my degree to do it. How might you ask did I end up making snowmen and piggy banks with a degree from the College of Agriculture? I have a degree in Family Studies- a major in the School of HES, a small part of the College of Ag. A lot of people get confused as to how the two relate. Let me try to clear that up: the School of Human Environmental Sciences (HES) is home to the following majors: Human Nutrition, Dietetics, Family Studies, Family and Consumer Sciences Education, Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles, and Hospitality Management and Tourism. Think about it: Agriculture isn’t just cows, sows and plows. It produces the food we eat. The same food chefs cook to serve you at your favorite restaurant, and the same food you buy from the grocery store (Crazy right?). It also produces the fibers that your clothes, pillow cases, sheets and home interior items are made from. 

Say you’re considering being a hotel manager. You need to know the most effective way to manage the establishment and understand your consumer.  You’ll need to know just what type of cleaning method you need to use to get that stain from that cotton pillow a guest just used (gross right? But you get my point). Welcome to Hospitality Management and Tourism. Home: School of HES, College of Agriculture. 

Let’s say you want to be a doctor but you aren’t really interested in a traditional major. Welcome to Human Nutrition. Home: School of HES, College of Agriculture. 

Say you’re looking to help people get their diet back on track. You’ll need to know the nutritional components of every food known to man. Welcome to Dietetics. Home: School of HES, College of Agriculture. 

Say you’re looking to dress some fabulous performer to perform on the Grammy stage (dream big kids). You’ll want to know what fabrics flow just right and which one’s won’t rip if a cameraman steps on the train. Welcome to Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles. Home: School of HES, College of Agriculture. 

Say you want to help families get their nutrition, finances and lives back on track. You realize that running a home is no different than running a hotel. Welcome to Family Science.  Home: School of HES, College of Agriculture. 

For me, I knew I wanted to work with families and help kids have bright futures. I wanted to help families realize their value. I wanted to help kids be as lucky as I was growing up, with a family who could afford the clothes I wore and the food I ate. Most of all, I wanted to make a difference. Even if that meant helping one family, I was going to do it. Now, being the Family and Consumer Sciences Agent at the Nelson County Extension Office, I get to do that every day. 

 Dayna sitting at her desk in  Nelson County

 My diploma proudly displayed on my shelf, I’m constantly reminded of how lucky I am to have gotten a job in this market.  People right now are so caught up in how bad the economy is that they say college isn’t worth the time and money. Me? I’m a proud success story who wouldn’t be where I am without my college degree.

And it isn’t just the classes that prepared me for this job. It was the professors, the faculty, the staff, my advisor, my friends, my fellow Ambassadors and my mentors who prepared me.

I can honestly say I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing had it not been for a few people in the College of Ag. One convinced me to go there, helping me find a major I was interested in. One made me fill out the application (against my wishes might I add) to intern with Cooperative Extension, now my full time employer. Others nominated me to be an Ambassador, where I got skills I couldn’t have learned anywhere else. And others didn’t do anything but say “hey” as I passed through the halls or sit and eat with me in the Ag North deli. But I’m here because of them. 

As a recent alumni of the College of Ag, I vividly remember the frustrations of the college world. I remember dreading class, forgetting homework, sleeping in and not having a clue what was going to be on the test I was walking in to take. I remember forking over thousands of dollars of hard earned money thinking, “this better be worth it one day.” And let me tell you- it is. Hang in there.

If you’re a freshman- congratulations!  You just survived your first semester of college. Cherish the rest of them because they FLY by. Stay up late laughing with friends, get up early to cram for your 8 a.m. test, and eat too many fries at K-Lair. Go to hockey games at midnight and basketball lotteries until 2 a.m. Support the soccer team and buy t-shirts from the MAT club. Buy cupcakes at the bake sales and take your resume to the Career Fair just for some feedback. Go to Ag Bash and Round-Up. Rub Patterson’s toe before a big exam. Join any club you’re even remotely interested in, even if you’ve never done something like it before. Visit the farms, thank your professors and worry about your homework. 

If you’re a senior-  congratulations!  You’re about to enter into your last semester of college. Cherish it because it goes faster than all the others. But the good news? The real world is waiting just on the other side of that Rupp Arena stage with welcoming arms and it isn’t half as scary as people make it sound. Lexington and the life you knew is just a drive away and big kid jobs do come with vacation days.

If you’re a high school student thinking about going to college: do it. Yes, it’s hard at times.   No, it isn’t always fun and freedom.  Yes, it’s expensive (thank you scholarships).   But the hefty price tag is so worth the family you gain and the benefit you’ll get in the end.  

I promise it’s worth it. GO CATS!

Dayna P., '10

The College of Agriculture: A One Stop "Shop" for Students

What are you interested in?

Business? 

Design? 

Food? 

Families? 

No matter what you’re interested in, the College of Agriculture is likely to have a major to suit your interest.  Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would end up as a student in the College of Ag, but here I am a senior preparing for graduation, and I couldn’t be more pleased with my major. It’s amazing what can happen when you venture into the unknown. 

As a high school senior, I was certain that I wanted to be an interior designer.  Naturally, I enrolled into the university’s interior design program. As a freshman, I was excited about my choice during my first semester. My future looked bright, so I could not wait to complete my journey through the design program in the hopes of landing a job as an interior designer.  To my dismay, I realized that, although the university’s program was doing an exceptional job of preparing me for a career, interior design simply wasn’t for me.  

Upon realizing that wasn’t the path for me, I began searching for a new major. I knew I wanted to serve people, so I researched majors that would equip me to do just that. I considered majors such as psychology, sociology, and gender and women’s studies, but none of them seemed to be the perfect fit. Finally, after weeks of agonizing, I settled on family science- a major I had absolutely no experience with. In fact, I barely knew what the major was, all I knew is that it sounded interesting, so I was willing to give it a try. An advisor in the School of Human Environmental Sciences (this school is within the College of Ag) familiarized me with the program and helped me select courses to get started. After just the first weeks of attending family sciences courses, I was thrilled and convinced that I had found my fit at UK. Not only did I like the classes I was taking, but I also liked the warmth of the advisors, professors, and students I encountered.

Family science can be best described as a mix between sociology and psychology, with a special emphasis on family relationships, as well as on how the individual functions as apart of the family unit. Within this program, I’ve taken courses in child development, family diversity, adolescence, mate selection, family resources management, human sexuality, and helping. All of these courses have allowed me to gain a more thorough understanding of how people function, and how the family shapes the individual throughout life and across cultures. 

The family science program at the University of Kentucky is through the College of Ag, however, it is housed within the college’s School of Human Environmental Sciences (HES). This school also houses programs such as dietetics, human nutrition, HMT (hospitality, tourism and management), and MAT (materials and textiles).  So why are these majors in the college of Ag? Although these majors are not “traditional” agricultural programs, they fit into the college’s focus on food, fibers, and families. 

So, what can one do with a degree in family science? I believe you can do almost anything with a degree in family science—especially careers that involve a great deal of interaction with people.  Some of the post popular career paths taken by family science majors include social services, non-profits, child advocacy, human resources, counseling (master’s degree required), child life, Cooperative Extension, and early childhood education.  When I selected family science as my major, I had the intentions of becoming a school counselor, however, I am now uncertain, but am leaning towards Cooperative Extension. Either way, my goal is to make an impact in the lives of youth and family’s alike.  

With all of that being said, as a prospective student, or even as a freshman or sophomore, I would recommend that you keep your options open during your first two years of college.  If you find yourself unhappy with your current major, don’t be afraid to explore other options—you should enjoy your college experience. In the midst of this exploration, I would strongly encourage you to consider the College of Ag. The College of Ag has a wealth of opportunities, not just majors, but also scholarships, internships, student organizations, and even study abroad opportunities.  No matter what you’re interested in, there’s something in the college that will tailor to your interests! 

If you are interested in learning more, check out the University of Kentucky’s family science program,.  

- Porsha B., Family Science Senior

The College Bound wAGon Rides Again

With the holidays approaching, everyone is talking about two things: the desserts and your college search.  Let’s head them off at the pass and have you ready to take on the tough questions. 

The last post (http://ukagstudents.blogspot.com/2011/10/college-bound-wagon.html) mentioned a few tips about prepping for the ACT and SAT and hopefully made you think about why you are going to college and why planning is so important in the process.  Hopefully you have also had time to get that planner, or at least learned how to use the calendar function on your phone.  

I want you to now to open a new word document on your computer and type your name on the top.  Then type 12^th grade, hit enter on your keyboard.  Type 11^th grade, hit enter.  Type 10^th grade, hit enter.  Type 9^th grade, hit enter.  Now you are ready to roll.  You are about to create a working high school resume.  This will save you tons of time in the future and will help you fill out college applications and scholarship applications.  Here’s a video to help you understand…….

Less than 20 seconds....

OK- now that your template is set up, start filling in each grade level with clubs you were in (BETA, 4-H, FFA, NHS, Math League,  etc.), awards you may have received (honor roll, perfect attendance, speech contest winner, etc.), sports or band activities, leadership activities, conferences or conventions, and any community service you may have participated in or planned for a group.  

(community service - a service that is performed for the benefit 

of the public or its institutions.)

This may take you awhile to complete, but will save you tons of time in the future.  Instead of thinking about each time you collected canned goods or what office in the science club you held sophomore year, the work is done for you.  You can get your applications filled out quicker and easier and it frees up more time for you to catch up on your reading.  I highly suggest this blog.  And The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  

As far as applying, many students choose to do so online via the university of their choice’s website.  Others may complete the Common App (https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/default.aspx), which allows you to apply to several schools at once.  Still others may seek out the paper form of the application.  Whichever you choose, take your time on it.  Make sure all parts are filled out.  You’d be surprised how many times students forget things like filling out the essay or not signing the application, which makes it incomplete.  Each university can vary slightly on admissions requirements so make sure you know what is expected.  

How do I pick a major?

Picking a major (what you are going to study in college) can be a hard decision, but it’s not something you need to lose sleep over at this point.  Go in with an open mind and learn about non-traditional majors that exist on campuses.  Most student change their major two to three times when they get on campus so doing a little research beforehand can help you stay on track to a four-year degree.  http://www.careerpath.com/ actually offers a quick quiz that was pretty accurate for myself.  

Let’s say you want to be a medical doctor.  Most schools have a pre-med program, but that only means this is a selection of classes that you have to take in order to apply to medical school.  Most students will pair this with a major.  Most schools have a chemistry or biology program and most students will go this route.  Let’s use some forward thinking and think about ways you can make yourself stand out in the medical school admissions process.  Most students will be the aforementioned bio or chem majors.  By selecting a major that is different from everyone else’s, you make yourself stand out major wise from most of the pack.  For example, at UK, students can consider either Human Nutrition or Agricultural Biotechnology for the med school track.  Each of these majors varies slightly in their coursework and opportunities (including an undergrad research project for ABT majors).  Other schools may offer biochemistry or physiology.  

The point is look around at your options and make the decision that’s best suited for you.  Never assume that because a major says something like “agricultural” in front of it it’s for farmers.  Chances are it’s a very strong science or science-based major. (Note: Agriculture is a science.) Also, check out your scholarship opportunities and also the level of opportunities for students in those majors.  Ask questions about trips, conference, leadership activities, etc. when you visit campus or in email interaction with college representatives.

Speaking of email interactions, that’s a good place to stop for this post and to put in a teaser for next time.  You would be amazed by the emails I get and how poor the grammar and spelling are in them.  I’ll give some examples and give some real world communications advice to help make you look like the prodigal student and shine above your peers.  Share the blog with your friends and family via Facebook and Twitter and other avenues you may use.  

In the meantime,  send your questions to me at Jason.Headrick@uky.edu.  I’m glad to hear your questions or get your feedback on this and other posts.

Jason

Director of Student Relations, UK Ag

“Like” us Facebook at UK Ag Academic Programs!

Follow us on Twitter at @UKAgStudents!

Bluegrass Girl Sees the "Show Me" State

Kansas City is known for many things.  It carries a legacy for having the first National FFA Convention.  It has more barbecue restaurants per capita than any other city in the nation.  And did you know if you have a card to says Hallmark on the back, it was made in this nifty town?

On the first week of November that is not all this town had to offer.  The 2011 Agriculture Future of America (AFA) Leader’s Conference was in Kansas City, Missouri from November 3-6th.  AFA is a 3 day conference in Kansas City, Missouri where college students all over the United States are selected to attend. There were three different conference tracks based on your year in school, and professional achievement. Each track offers you the chance to be engaged with other students with similar interests, hear motivational speakers, career development training, and network with over a 100 different business’s in the food, fiber, and agriculture industry.

The theme for AFA this year was “My Piece. My Place. Our Future.”  The theme really describes the tone for the conference.  The conference was such a great way to get fired up and even more so about your future in an awesome industry.  AFA was kicked off with a very inspiring Captain Plumb, a Vietnam fighter pilot.  His plane was shot down, he parachuted into enemy hands, was captured, tortured and held prisoner for six years.  Such an amazing story!  He encouraged participants not let the surrounding walls suppress us and to thank the people in our life that pack our parachutes in his memorable keynote ,“Winning through Adversity.”

Here are a few highlights of the track three session that I was in:

“You’ve graduated now what?”  A panel of employers explains how to manage life after graduation, and what employers are looking for in you as a possible future employee.

“Money Talks” Adam Carroll, a motivational speaker that educated participants on how to manage money he spoke on everything dealing with investments, debt, money markets, and stocks.

“Family Dynamics in Agriculture and in Business”  Led by a professor and counselor from Nebraska State University, this track explained how to handle managing different dynamics if you plan on going back to the farm, or starting up a farm.

The conference was also complete without a fun night of dancing, bowling, mini-golf go-carting, and ice skating.

Jolene Brown

On the final day, Jolene Brown, a farm wife, professional public speaker and comedian ended this conference with a bang. She left us with OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE- it’s all in how you see it.

Opportunities are a wonderful thing.  As I finish my fourth and final year at the University of Kentucky I am truly thankful for the opportunities, experiences, and growth that I have been able to partake in, as I network, examine, and research ideas and paths for my future I am thankful for all of the knowledge, and skills that have been given to my at the University of Kentucky.

 I walked away from the conference with profound information and tools to help me succeed in the future, new friends, so many business cards, and pages of notes to apply and examine to my everyday life.  Thanks to the giving support of Monsanto I had the privilege to attend Agriculture Future Leader’s Conference.  I highly encourage other college students to apply and attend this extraordinary conference!  Check it out on www.agfuture.org or for more information, follow them on facebook or twitter.

Keitha,  UK Class of 2012