Hi everyone! I’m Macy, and I am a new intern for the 2023 school year. I would love to let you in on a bit of background about myself and some reasons as to why I am involved with Student Farm. And with that said, some reasons why I have been loving student farm!
To start from the beginning, my journey with agriculture started when I was young. Although I did not grow up on a farm, I had worked on one for years. It was specifically a horse farm, and this is where I grew most of my interest in working in the industry. My interests continued to develop throughout high school when I started taking agriculture classes and joined FFA, Future Farmers of America. I took everything from intro courses to animal science, plant science, biotechnology, food science, and even zoology and botany. After high school I went to college for biology at another university. While at that university, I found myself wanting to get back to my roots. So, here I am at Penn State!
I am now studying Agriculture Business and Management, with two minors in International Agriculture and Horticulture. I could not have chosen anything better. But the whole experience got quite a bit better when I decided to join the Student Farm team. Since joining the Student Farm intern team, I have gained more knowledge and experience than I ever thought, and my time is just starting. One of the reasons this has been so great is because of how I see the importance of food systems and sustainable agriculture. I have always viewed making change in the world as providing people with something necessary to live, food, in a way that is accessible and affordable while keeping the environment healthy. With an ever-growing population and demand for food, the more and more I find myself wanting to find these resolutions. The Student Farm does a wonderful job of not only integrating the education of farming skills and techniques, but also the importance of sustainability and what it means to run a successful farm.
Additionally, while gaining these educational experiences, I am also gaining leadership experience. I hold leadership in other organizations that I am involved in, but it means so much to me to have this leadership within the Student Farm. The Student Farm is so relevant to the career I will hold later in life, and it is helping build that managerial aspect of my studies. It truly is a multifaceted program. Leadership is extremely important to me. I like being a person who can help a group make cohesive decisions, help a team work together, be a person that people can come to, and in general be a friendly face that loves to help others. These are most definitely qualities I see in a leader. This, as well as strong communication and comprehensive interpersonal skills. In general, I can say I am beyond happy and honored to have this position with the Student Farm. I am ready to make every second of my experience count!