A special group of college students has been doing outreach for the Ohio Soybean Council and GrowNextGen this summer, traveling around the state to share STEM activities and increase public knowledge of modern agriculture. Here are the 2019 ambassadors:
Lead Ambassador Shaye Creamer
Wilmington College, Agriculture Education & Animal Science
Favorite event: Groveport Madison school visits
I am honored to have worked with an amazing ambassador team this year. These are hardworking individuals dedicated to agriculture and to reaching Ohio consumers through their passion of educating and advocating. My favorite part of being a lead ambassador has been working with our team to create and facilitate over 45 outreach events that have reached over 20,000 individuals! During this year, I have grown as a leader and a facilitator and have built skills to use in my own classroom someday.
MaKayla Eggleton
The Ohio State University, Agribusiness and Applied Economics
Favorite event: visits to Ohio classrooms
MaKayla is an avid ice cream enthusiast; she likes taking pictures; and she lives in a pole barn!
I enjoyed the people I was able to interact with. At some events, I had people who did not understand what I was trying to convey. You had to put yourself in their shoes to relate and explain to them using ideas they encounter in daily life. At the state fair, I had the honor of speaking with a couple who are retired dairy farmers. They shared their experiences with me, asked about my ambitions, and commented on how we educate others about agriculture. You learn to appreciate the life stories and people you meet along the way.
Being an ambassador taught me how to best communicate with others around me, in agricultural settings and in general. I also learned the best ways to share with consumers from an agricultural perspective.
Mary Buehler
The Ohio State University, Agribusiness and Applied Economics
Favorite event: Ohio State Fair soil demonstrations
My favorite part about being an ambassador is when what we do triggers an “aha moment” for individuals, as they realize how some aspect of agriculture is impacting their life, their interests, or their job. The individual finds a connection to agriculture and I gain a glimpse of someone else’s perspective on life.
I am thankful for the support that the Ohio Soybean Council provides to young agriculturalists. The opportunities they offer have helped me make the most of my time as a college student and have prepared me to enter a career in the agricultural industry.
As an ambassador, I learned the importance of tailoring conversations to the audience. Whether it’s making a concept more understandable for a child or gaining credibility from a skeptical adult, there is power in being relatable.
Matt Younker
Wilmington College, Agriculture Education
Favorite event: Central State visits
Matt is also an ambassador for the National Teach Ag Campaign.
I enjoyed getting to network with industry professionals and connect with students who may not know much about agriculture while sharing my passion with them.
Andrew Moyer
University of Dayton, Communication Management
Favorite event: Central State visits
Andrew’s father is a third generation farmer.
My favorite part was interacting with people from all backgrounds to educate and inform them about agriculture today. During my time as an ambassador, I learned about teamwork, facilitation skills, and problem solving.
Amy Hafer
Heidelberg University, Communication
Favorite event: Central State visits
Amy comes from an 8th generation family farm.
I appreciated working with other people who are passionate about what they do. I learned how to better communicate with consumers about agricultural topics.
Ashley Garlick
The Ohio State University, Agriscience Education
Favorite event: Ohio State Fair
Ashley is from a crop farm in northwest Ohio.
My favorite part of outreach is seeing the kids’ excitement during the experiments. As an ambassador, I learned how to use better communication skills to teach about agriculture.
Kelly Rice
Wilmington College, Agronomy
Favorite event: St. Mary-Avon school visit
Mary will be traveling to Scotland to run a race there in 2020.
My favorite part of being an ambassador was educating individuals from young to old about agriculture and seeing people passionate and excited to learn.
Mitchell Gehret
The Ohio State University, Agriscience Education
Favorite event: Ohio FFA Convention
Mitchell owns a 1935 John Deere A and a 1942 John Deere B tractor.
I enjoyed how many people we were able to interact with, and it was always nice to see how excited kids got for activities like the Bio boats. I learned that activities can be used for many different age groups and just have to be adapted to fit. This could be done by asking older kids more in-depth questions or helping younger kids with a task.
Kayla Erickson
The Ohio State University, Agriscience Education
Favorite event: Meigs and Galia County Fair
Kayla is not from an agriculture background.
My favorite thing about being an ambassador was getting to see different parts of the state and learning about soybeans. I was able to travel to events all over the state and meet so many great people involved in all different aspects of the agricultural industry. Being an ambassador helped me learn how to be flexible and work better with others.
Brenna Loxley
The Ohio State University, Agriscience Education
Favorite event: Evergreen High School visit
Brenna LOVES Ohio soybeans!
I loved being able to work with both students and educators—going to schools and being able to interact with students was just an awesome experience! As an ambassador, I learned that sometimes you have to adapt!
Haley Wilson
The Ohio State University, Agriscience Education
Favorite event: Ohio State Fair
Haley loves to collect cookbooks, and she’d like to write her own agriculture-centered cookbook someday.
I loved the opportunity for genuine interaction with consumers. As an ambassador, I learned ways to better connect with the public when discussing agriculture.
