Meet Student Member: Ava Splear!
By Ashlyn Rochester, ACN Communications Specialist
As part of the new and incoming student members, sponsored by Filament, we’re highlighting the new members. Ava Splear is a student at the University of Illinois, where she studies Agriculture Leadership, Education, and Communications. To get to know her better and why her student membership in ACN is important to her, we asked her a few questions.
1. Why are you studying agriculture?
I am studying agriculture due to the fact that I grew up around it. This upbringing instilled many values in me including the value of hard work, patience, dedication, passion and the importance of family. In addition, many of the people I love most work in the industry. I am studying this because I have a background that makes me a good fit for a job within agriculture.
2. What position, goal, or outcome do you hope to accomplish with your agriculture degree?
My career goal is to be an advocate for the agriculture industry by educating individuals so that they can make informed decisions as consumers and have basic knowledge of agriculture.
3. What do you hope to gain from your student membership to ACN? If it’s something specific, like a mentor or feedback, please be specific and include an email address for members to reach you at.
From my student membership to ACN, I hope to gain professional connections to agricultural communicators. I also hope to gain insight into the different types of work and jobs that agricultural communicators possess.
4. As part of the application process, we ask applicants to write a few short paragraphs on the value of joining ACN, and why this would help the applicant in their career.
Joining the Agricultural Communicators Network will provide value to me as a student and developing professional in the agricultural communications field. I am majoring in Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications. Utilizing my degree, I hope to educate individuals about agriculture so that they can make informed decisions as consumers.
With a membership to ACN, I believe that I will be able to network with professionals in the industry. Networking is extremely important and if I meet the right people, I can learn more about their career, advice, ideas and have a new mentor. ACN would provide me with a strong list of people to network with and learn from.
The advisor of my Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow chapter mentioned that ACN sends out opportunities through the mailing list including online webinars, workshops, podcasts, etc. and I believe that would be a great resource to be connected to.
I hadn’t heard of Agricultural Communicators Network prior to filling out this application, but it sounds like a great organization with a lot to offer that would benefit me and my future career goals.
Students can apply or be nominated for membership. Please share this with interested students and/or nominate a student today. Thank you, Filament, for investing in the future of Ag Communicators!
The application is available at this link.