My success is learning beyond the classroom.
For UW-River Falls student Kellie Claflin, educational experience knows no geographical boundaries.
Last summer, Kellie, an agricultural education major, worked as a communications intern for the National Association of Agricultural Educators in Lexington, Ky.
"I learned through the internship that I can do anything that I set my mind to. Moving 600 miles away from home to Lexington and not knowing a soul was definitely a new experience, but it ended up being the greatest 8 weeks of my life," she says.
The internship was the culmination of an already lengthy background in the field. Kellie, a senior from Osseo, Wis., has already had extensive experience.
She regularly attends the National Collegiate Agricultural Education Conference, and has presented at the Agricultural Education Research Conference. Kellie also held the honor of serving as the 2008-2009 student president of Alpha Tau Alpha, the prestigious national professional honorary agricultural education organization, at both the local and national levels.
During her eight-week internship, Kellie crafted press releases and created presentations recognizing national award winners. She expansively researched teaching techniques of educators across the country, even down to learning about heirloom tomato practices in Pennsylvania and dairy farming in California.
Kellie says the insight she gained was invaluable.
"The internship provided me with amazing professional growth and experiences within the fields of communications and agricultural education," Kellie notes. "More than anything, the internship gave me confidence and helped me gain faith in my skills and abilities, both professionally and personally."
She credits the UWRF Agricultural Education Department with providing her the tools to succeed on a national level, and says she considers her experience in her desired field as a team effort.
"I had the support of the department behind me. Having such a caring department, they know how to help students," says Kellie.
Kellie received particular support from Professor Jim Graham and Professor Tim Buttles.
"I owe them a lot. Everything I have done through the University shows me that I am going down the right path in life," she notes.
At the University, Kellie has worked as the coordinator for the agricultural education department's Agricultural Technology Contest.
"There is no doubt in my mind that I will be forever indebted to my experiences at UWRF. Through the wide variety of classes and amazing faculty and staff, I am gaining the tools to succeed in the agriculture classroom in a middle/high school setting," says Kellie.
