During the summer between my junior and senior year, I was honored to represent my hometown at Cornhusker Girls State, a citizenship training program sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary and modeled after the American Legion’s Boys State. This program is designed to promote leadership and an understanding of self-government and good citizenship through hands-on experiences rooted in democratic principles. While attending, I participated in the creation and management of mock local, county, and state governments alongside other delegates. We conducted official meetings, held elections, and made decisions using formal voting procedures. This immersive experience significantly deepened my understanding of Robert’s Rules of Order and Parliamentary Procedure. In my future classroom and FFA chapter, I will apply this knowledge during chapter meetings, leadership activities, and competitions that involve parliamentary procedure. I also plan to incorporate it into my Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) course when teaching the Conduct of Chapter Meetings unit, helping students build confidence and competence in formal meeting procedures.
This degree program was specifically designed for me by my advisor at Chadron State College as part of the 3:1 Agricultural Education transfer program. All students in this program receive a personalized degree plan that outlines their full 3.5- or 4-year academic path. These plans were collaboratively developed by Josee Sayaloune, a START advisor at Chadron State College, and Dr. Matt Kreifels from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL). My degree program clearly maps out all the courses I completed during my time at CSC, as well as their corresponding equivalents at UNL, indicating how each course fulfills degree requirements. Additionally, it includes the college credits I transferred in, the number of credits taken each semester, and my total credit accumulation by the end of the program. This degree plan has served as a valuable tool in ensuring a smooth and efficient transition between institutions while keeping me on track toward earning my degree in Agricultural Education.