Small town undergraduate student finds a home, passion for law and agriculture advocation at Herbert
Where are you from, and why did you decide to attend the UT Herbert College of Agriculture?
I am from Clarkrange, TN, which is a small, rural town in East Tennessee where I graduated high school with about sixty-five people. When it came to looking for a university, UT Knoxville was the only choice in my mind as it is the biggest in-state school. I felt the Big Orange Welcome as soon as I stepped foot onto main campus, and I decided it was my school.
One day, I had a mid-high school crisis where I realized I would be one of 30,000 people and thought no one would care to know my name. I also wasn’t sure how I was going to pay for school over four years because I knew my parents would want to help my sister two years later. I came back on a second tour so I could meet with my county’s admissions counselor, Cassie Johnson. I told her about my choice to be a pre-law major because I wanted to go to law school, but thankfully she decided to turn my life upside down and inform me I could major in anything to attend a law school. While I was still processing this, I mentioned my need for scholarships, and she offered up an academic college known for their extensive record of providing scholarships: the Herbert College of Agriculture.
As a 4-Her in high school, I had been introduced to Herbert, but I never understood its relationship with UT until that day. Cassie sent me over for a tour and a faculty meeting with Victoria Beasley, and I switched my major that afternoon to Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications. I can still feel the excitement from that day because so many people rolled out the orange carpet for me! Every person I met was willing to help achieve my dream, and I knew I could grow as an individual with the support I felt on Herbert’s campus while still embracing the responsibility of being a UT Volunteer.
What is your major and why?
I am majoring in Agriculture Leadership, Education, and Communications (ALEC) with a concentration in community engagement and leadership development. When first visiting the ag campus, I wasn’t sure how I could combine both of my passions in agriculture and law, but the flexibility of the curriculum to make all my classes fit was exciting to me. Today, as a senior, I can confirm I am still pursuing a career with both agriculture and law, but I am experimenting to see the type of advocating I enjoy more. Right now, I am choosing to fight for the voice of agriculturalists as laws are being made, but I am hopeful I will one day also have the ability to defend the role of agriculturalists in a court room.
What has been your favorite class and who is your favorite professor? Why?
My favorite class was my first class I took in person: ALEC 102 Leadership Development. Yes, I was excited to see faces rather than my computer screen during class, but I was extra excited because it was with Victoria Beasley. I had three online classes with her the semester before, and she was so welcoming to me when I was extremely worried about succeeding in “normal” college classes. As a child, I had experienced one type of extroverted leader, but this class allowed me to understand it takes so many different people to lead. It is still my favorite class to this day because I was introduced to the success of varying leadership styles.
Tied for favorite professors (in addition to Beasley) are Dr. Chris Boyer and Dr. Bill Johnson. I never had a class with Dr. Boyer, and I only had one class with Dr. Johnson, but I was fortunate enough to meet them through the Farm Credit Scholars Program. Serving as a Scholar with their support has been fantastic for my personal development because they work hard to make their students feel important. Because of their extensive support throughout my college career, they were the first two professors I asked for advice when learning of my first job opportunity. I trusted their opinions based on their support of my goals in the past, and I couldn’t have asked for two better professors to help me make a life-changing decision.
What can you tell us about your role as the president of the Herbert Ambassadors? Why did you decide to get involved and how has it impacted your experience at UT Knoxville?
The Herbert Ambassadors is the primary leadership organization of the Herbert College of Agriculture, and it has been the highest honor serving this group. Director Cassie Johnson is leading an amazing group of leaders who share a passion for advocating for agriculture, and I am so thankful for her enthusiasm and determination to help others.
When I was a freshman, I chose to apply because of the amazing experience I had with my ambassadors both on the main campus and ag campus, and I wanted to be a tool for others who were struggling with their college decisions as well. However, when I was accepted, no one warned me about gaining a family of friends or a mentor who would make saying goodbye to Knoxville so much harder! I can confidently say I would not be in the personal or professional place I am today without this program. Between spending eight hours in the car with a fellow Ambassador for a college fair or giving a one-on-one tour with a student who couldn’t wait to come to Herbert, my time as a Herbert Ambassador changed the trajectory of my life, and I will never be able thank Cassie Johnson enough for taking a chance on the girl she helped in her admissions office.
What has been your most memorable experience at Herbert so far?
I think my most memorable experience at Herbert has been sharing my last two years with my sister, Kaylea. Not only did she choose to come to UT, but she chose to major within Herbert (I may have worn my Ambassador hat home a time or two)! Herbert allowed me to keep her close and watch over her while also giving her the freedom to meet friends and family of her own. She’s also become a member of my chosen family within Herbert Ambassadors, and I have loved sharing a passion of advocating for agriculture with her. I will always be grateful for Herbert bringing us closer together, and I am ready to watch her grow even more as a proud alum.
Can you tell us about an experiential learning opportunity you’ve had while at Herbert?
The experiential learning opportunity that led to my full-time job offer before I graduated was the Tennessee Legislative Intern Program. I spent 16 weeks from January to May in Nashville as a legislative intern for a state senator. I learned the inner workings of the Tennessee Legislature, and I met some amazing people I now work with as an employee. However, my favorite responsibility was working to serve the constituents who often had nowhere else to turn. One aspect of the job I did not expect was the relationships I would build.
As one of the eighty students participating, I was there to serve the State of Tennessee and Senate District 18, but as the only student majoring in agriculture, I was there to advocate. Every new person I was able to introduce myself to would ask about my school, and I would get to share my Herbert experience at UT. This conversation would lead to so many discussions about the importance and impact of agriculture, and these interactions led me to a discovery of a passion I wanted to turn into a career. The internship allowed me to realize I could be proactive by fixing policies and creating real, effective legislation to help our farmers rather than solely focusing on defending farmers against bad policies already in effect.
How has your experience in the Herbert College of Agriculture prepared you to enter the field?
The Herbert College of Agriculture has encouraged me to follow my passions. Whenever I had a question I wanted to answer or a problem I wanted to solve, I had six faculty members ready to help me achieve whatever I aspired to change. Oftentimes, I felt protected and supported by my campus because I knew they believed in me. Now, as I am working in the field, I am choosing to embrace the Herbert spirit by looking to support others when I can. Whether it is a person at work or a current college student, I was taught to be a servant to my community, and I am honored to help in any way I can.
What would you say to someone who is considering applying to the Herbert College of Agriculture?
Embrace your inner Hannah Montana! I know I am running out of time to shout that advice from the rooftops due to the younger age groups coming up (goodness now I sound like a real adult), but I will never miss an opportunity to share the importance of the unique opportunity we have at Herbert. When a student chooses to study agriculture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, not only are they joining the largest public university in the state, but they are also gaining a home in their academic college. Coming to UT, I thought I wanted to be lost in the sea of 30,000 students since I was graduating from a school where everyone knew me, but I quickly realized I needed a support system to help me make the right choices. Learning on Herbert’s side of campus gives you the small-town support you need; participating with main campus allows you to be a part of something bigger than yourself as a Volunteer.
What is one thing you’re excited about for the current school year?
I am excited for graduation! But wait! I may be excited for a different reason than the normal “senioritis” answer of “I am ready to leave this place!” because it is quite the opposite. I can tell you as a student who left campus a semester early to take an opportunity, leaving Knoxville and everyone behind is still something I battle with daily. The only reason I was able to accept my job before graduating was knowing I could now bring UT into the real world with me! As a UT Volunteer, we are charged with the responsibility of making the world a better place, and we can do just that by spreading the love of serving others across this globe. Graduating with my class in May will allow my classmates to experience the same joy I have when they come to realize physically leaving our home of Knoxville doesn’t mean we have to leave our spirit there too.
Congratulations on receiving a 2024 Torchbearer Award! What does this honor mean to you?
It is an honor I cannot fully explain in words. Over the last four years, I have been surrounded by others who bear the torch as a Volunteer. Learning from my faculty, staff, and peers at UT has instilled a passion for serving those around me, and I am excited to bring this spirit into the real world!
What do you like to do outside of school and/or what is a fun fact about yourself that your fellow students and professors may not know?
I think a lot of my friends and professors know this about me because I always find myself talking about them, but one thing I did outside of school in Knoxville was coaching the swim team at the National Fitness Center in West Knoxville. I was hired as a freshman when I first got to Knoxville in 2020. As a social butterfly who was grasping for human interaction, I met these incredible, hilarious kids who invited me to teach them and grow with them over four years. I was always asked why I continued to coach when I was already busy enough on campus, and my answer would always be, “I can’t quit. They’re my kids!” because of one main reason: anytime I would have a college kid day where I am living in me-world, I would inevitably come to practice and immediately be reminded of how much the world did not revolve around my life. In fact, those kids taught me to give grace first rather than anger because there are so many sides to a life you will never see.
