EKU Agriculture Ambassadors Represent Colonels at National FFA Career Expo
EKU's Agriculture Ambassadors traveled to Indianapolis to represent the Colonels at the 2016-17 National FFA Career Show and Collegiate Expo. The 89th annual event, held October 19-22, draws thousands of high school students from across the nation interested in careers in agriculture.
Nine AG Ambassadors represented the department:
- Kelly Armour - Agriculture Education junior from Butler, Ky. (Pendleton County)
- McKaylan Drach - Agribusiness Management freshman from Stow, Oh.
- Jessica Eggers - Animal Science senior from Corbin, Ky.
- Taylor Hoskins - Agriculture Education freshman from London, Ky.
- Austin Huff - Agronomy Soils & Natural Resources senior from Shelbyville, Ky.
- Sydney Kleinert - Agribusiness Management junior from Clifton, Ill.
- Christina Newton - Floriculture/Greenhouse Management junior from McDonough, Ga.
- Christine Papalski - Animal Science freshman from Bridgewater, N.J.
- Trevor Radcliff - Animal Science senior from Bagdad, Ky.
According to group advisor Dr. Mike McDermott who accompanied them on the trip, “The students spent three days recruiting high school students to attend Eastern Kentucky University. The booth has been successful because we have students currently attending EKU who were first exposed to the university at this career show. “
Eastern Kentucky University AG Ambassadors have their own unique ways of promoting their program. They talk to prospective students face-to-face, hand out brochures, display demonstrations, and even use a bit of technology. “The students use iPads to display photos of our current college students doing a variety of lab activities at Meadowbrook farm and our horticulture facilities,” Dr. McDermott elaborated.
The National FFA Organization (formerly known as Future Farmers of America) provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education. Today, there are 610,240 FFA members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,665 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Published on October 24, 2016