Our brothers are back and ready to take on the semester. Before the fall semester began, our members didn’t hesitate to remain involved in the agriculture industry during the summer break.
From international travel to aiding the agriculture industry past graduation, our brothers have made a difference inside and outside the Central Valley.
Fresno State Senior Melissa Jacoby worked this summer as a biological science aid on the weeds crew with the Libby Ranger District in the U.S. Forest Service - Kootenai National Forest in Northwest Montana. She worked with herbicides and some biological controls to target noxious weeds throughout the forest.
Jacoby highlighted how Alpha Zeta helped her reach the state of Montana:
“I'd say the national conferences I have attended in the past gave me the travel bug,” Jacoby said. “It's opened my eyes to see how agriculture is viewed in other parts of the country. In Libby, people grow a lot of their own food in small greenhouses because fruits and vegetables are really expensive in the grocery store. They also utilize the forest for food, something I am not use to.”
In addition to summer adventures, Fresno State Senior Mikayla Kopp was able to help out a little closer to home at the Fresno State Horticulture Nursery.
“I did general Ornamental Horticulture work like propagation and transplanting and I also helped to facilitate a Summer Farm Camp for kids ages 5 to 10,” Kopp said. “They caught bugs and learned about biodiversity. They learned everyday about different aspects of agriculture, and were able to take what they learned back to their families and friends.”
Many of our brothers find it best to immerse themselves in agriculture around the community, country, and the world. Fresno State Senior, Jonathon Porter joined the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology in their visit to the University of the Azores.
“We visited two islands of Azores Island chain of Sao Miguel and Terceira. Having the opportunity to meet people at the University of the Azores, we were able to meet students and faculty as well as visiting industry,” Porter said.
Porter was also involved in the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service Ag Discovery program, which was designed for students ages 14-18 from all over the United States.
“Fresno State hosted the Ag Discovery program,” Porter said. “It was an honor to have the chance to work with the future of agriculture. We were able to show students the importance of agriculture, as well as the many industries that agriculture takes place in as well as shown the many educational programs that are available for these young students when they come to age for College.”
Although our brothers remain active even when school is on break, some of our brothers graduated this past spring, and are already making an impact in the agriculture industry.
Fresno State alumna, Blaire Strohn, is currently interning for RFD-TV The American as an American Ambassador, and is the Marketing Ambassador for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
Strohn was able to tell us about how Alpha Zeta helped her succeed past graduation:
“Through Alpha Zeta I was able to attend local events and conferences, gaining valuable knowledge through networking with industry leaders,” Strohn said.
Strohn is currently attending graduate school at Oklahoma State University with a focus in International Agriculture.
We’re excited to see more of what are alumni are up to, and what our members continue to do during this semester.