2023 ACN Student Scholarship Finalists Announced
By Ashley Craft, Co-Chair, ACN Future Ag Communicators Committee
The Future Ag Communicators Committee is excited to announce this year’s two finalists for the 2023 Ag Communicators Network scholarships: Lydia Johnson, Iowa State University, and Michelle Stangler, University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
Johnson and Stangler, both seniors, rose to the top of an exceptional group of 14 student applicants for this year’s Ag Communicators Network scholarships. They will interview in person at the Ag Media Summit for the top scholarship named in honor of Dr. James Evans ($3,000). The runner-up will receive the Past Presidents’ Scholarship ($1,500).
We encourage you to say “hello” and “congratulations” to Johnson and Stangler at Ag Media Summit and to engage with all students in attendance. Small connections can make a big difference in a student’s educational and career trajectory.
Meet Lydia Johnson
Lydia Johnson grew up on a farm in Iowa where she and her family raise sheep, goats and hogs and grow corn and soybeans. Through her upbringing, Johnson developed a strong passion to serve “as a reliable, factual source of information in the agricultural industry,” she said in her application.
“One of the largest issues in our world, and particularly within agriculture, is the excess of information available at all times,” Johnson explained. “What is correct? Who can I believe? How should I make the best production decisions? Being a native to the industry has allowed me a unique position to understand and serve the needs of farmers and industry leaders.”
Johnson has pursued an assortment of internships and educational opportunities focused on broadcasting, policy, and marketing. This past spring, Johnson interned in Washington, D.C., as an Agri-Pulse Communications Immersive Learning Intern, through which she provided balanced coverage of agriculture policy news. You may have seen Johnson’s work on Agri-Pulse’s website or heard her audio segments for the daily Drive-Time podcast and the RFD-TV show, Agri-Pulse Newsmakers.
She has also worked as the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Communications Intern, WHO Radio Farm Broadcasting Intern, National FFA Organization Broadcast Desk Intern, and Nationwide Agribusiness Market Intern – and that’s not all! Be sure to visit Johnson at AMS to learn more about her well-rounded resume.
“I have profound respect for Lydia as an individual,” said NAFB Executive Director Tom Brand. “Her positive attitude, moral character, strong work ethic, and drive to do the job right are consistently evident every time I see her. In the last 30-plus years working with students at National FFA Convention and through NAFB, few students have impressed me as much as Lydia Johnson. She is a team player, genuinely cares for those around her, is compassionate, and a hard worker.”
Johnson is working as a policy intern at Torrey Advisory Group-an agriculture and food-focused lobbying and strategic communications firm-in Washington, D.C., this summer.
Meet Michelle Stangler
In 2022, after seeing a campus-wide need for agricultural communications opportunities for students at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, Michelle Stangler co-founded the college’s Agricultural and Natural Resources Communications Club, a chapter of the National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) organization. Stangler also serves as the 2022-2023 National ACT President while growing her collegiate chapter’s membership.
As National ACT president, Stangler leads monthly officer meetings to ensure national goals are met and students understand how the organization can enhance their professional development. She also gained national sponsorships to ensure future success and growth for the organization, incentivize membership, and grow programming for students across the nation.
“Additionally, I am part of several other clubs including serving as a reporter of the Collegiate Farm Bureau chapter,” Stangler added. “I began an Instagram account and email newsletter to create consistent communication by having members be more informed and have increased involvement at events. Likewise, being part of many clubs and projects on campus to advance my learning and help grow other people is a core value of mine.”
Growing up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, Stangler has always had a strong desire to tell the story of agriculture across a variety of mediums. Her experiences include Farmer Communications Intern for Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Freelance Broadcaster and Writer for Positivity in Ag Communications, and a Marketing and Events Intern for Sound Agriculture. Prior to college, Michelle served as Wisconsin FFA State Vice President.
“It’s a rare occurrence that you come across a standout student like Michelle,” said Daiton Donkers, Senior Field Marketing Associate at Sound Agriculture. “Her drive, knowledge, and passion for agricultural communications are unmatched. Michelle is an intelligent and motivated individual who demonstrated a great deal of maturity and work ethic during her time with us. She was able to quickly understand complex concepts and demonstrated strong analytical skills when approaching new problems.”
Stangler is working with Progressive Dairy in Idaho this summer as an editorial intern.