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If we bring them, they will come By
Reba McDonald High
school seniors can have trouble finding their way after graduation.
At Oklahoma State University, one “The
Ag Ambassadors are highly qualified students whom I am proud to have
representing OSU,” said CASNR Associate Dean Ed Miller. Typical
tasks of an ambassador include hosting students who visit CASNR, helping
with alumni events, traveling to high schools to promote the college
and attending the National FFA Association convention in November to
recruit students. The ambassadors also call recently-admitted freshmen
each spring to answer any questions they have concerning starting college.
But the group’s greatest responsibility is hosting the annual Future
Agricultural Leaders Conference each fall. The
FAL Conference is designed to help potential college students learn
about agricultural job possibilities and enhance their knowledge of
the college experience. The conference goal is to show students the
signs that lead to academic success and a professional career. “The
conference provides an opportunity for students to take the next step,”
said Chas Robbins, Ag Ambassador and 2001 FAL Conference executive chair.
“We want the students to learn as much as possible while they’re
here. The purpose of the conference is for students to become confident
in their future.” The
ambassadors invite the top 50 applicants from high school juniors and
seniors nationwide to come to OSU for three days of seminars and activities.
Participants
are accepted on the basis of academic achievement, involvement in extracurricular
activities and interest in careers related to agriculture, agribusiness,
foods and natural resources. The deadline to apply is mid-October each
year. The cost of the conference is $25, which includes housing at the
Student Union Hotel, meals and a conference T-shirt. The Oklahoma Farm
Bureau and CASNR are sponsors of the FAL Conference, which covers the
remaining cost of the conference. “The
Ag Ambassadors organize the whole conference,” said Louann Waldner,
CASNR director of student services and adviser for the Ag Ambassadors.
“They conduct a very creative, educational and innovative three-day
program for high school students.”
In
the past, sessions have included getting familiar with the countless
opportunities and careers in agriculture and natural resources, learning
about individual strengths and weaknesses and becoming organized and
expanding personal management skills. “The
FAL Conference was an awesome experience,” said Laura Bible, horticulture
sophomore at OSU. “In reality, it was the deciding factor for me
coming to OSU.” Regardless
of their future plans, all participants get a glimpse of what every
day college life will be like. “I
learned so much at the 2000 FAL Conference,” said Leah Dillsaver,
landscape architecture sophomore. “I met current college students
who answered questions that wouldn’t have been answered before
moving to college.” In
addition to the sessions, introductions to professors and other activities
at the conference, students also build relationships with fellow participants. “I
met so many new friends at the conference and when school started, I
saw them in my classes,” said Bible. “It was so exciting.” Ag
Ambassadors and college officials said they expect these friendships
and ambitions to grow when participants come back as students. “The
FAL Conference is not just about recruiting for OSU,” said Waldner.
“It’s about recruiting for agriculture’s future. What
better way to do that than having 13 top CASNR students role modeling,
saying ‘I’ve done it, you can too’.”
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Thirteen
OSU students make up the Ag Ambassadors, an organization established
by the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources to recruit
potential students to the college. 
The
ambassadors center the conference around the theme “Get a Clue,”
which allows students to tour the campus, learn more about the careers
in agriculture and further define their career interests. They also
meet with professors, review the admission process and get a head start
on enrollment.