It’s back: “Take 5” with the 13 enthusiastic faces partnering with Michigan Farm Bureau to host a Collegiate Farm Bureau chapter at their institution. Our Collegiate Farm Bureau advisors offer students a variety of opportunities, preparing them for discussion meets, connecting them with their county Farm Bureau and introducing them to the organization.
Let’s get started…
Who are you and what is your official title?
I’m Constance Schwass, the MSU Institute of Agricultural Technology Program Coordinator at West Shore Community College.
What was the path you took to get the position you’re in now?
I got my master’s of business administration from Grand Valley State University, and a Ph.D. in educational leadership at Western Michigan University. I was full-time faculty and chair of the business department at West Shore Community College, and once retired from that, started teaching some courses at MSU. I’m married to a fifth-generation farmer, and my kid teaches agriculture, so to me program coordinator was the perfect opportunity to work at a different capacity than previous academic experiences.
What programs — either related to Collegiate Farm Bureau or your courses — are you most proud of?
I really think that the ag operations and fruit and vegetable and crop management classes are the best for students in our area. Food processing businesses hire our students and offer internships. I like the ag-tech 100 course: We invite industry professionals to teach students about their pathways to help them learn about their opportunities. It gives students opportunities to talk, network and learn.
What is the most exciting part of working with your students?
The most exciting part is helping them develop a passion for agriculture and creating an opportunity for them to see how it affects them. They aren’t all going to become farmers. They don’t realize it yet until they get further that there is forestry, horticulture, sustainability, etc. It opens doors and ideas, and I enjoy when they realize that, along with showing how great the career pathway could be for them.
What are ways your county Farm Bureau has helped encourage membership involvement in your Collegiate chapter, and how has Michigan Farm Bureau influenced the chapter involvement?
Locally they have scholarships for college students that are helpful. They host Young Farmer events or membership drive events that Farm Bureau and college members are invited to. The Young Farmer conference has a good amount of people talking with the students. Michigan Farm Bureau helps with discussion meets and the FARM Science Van comes to students to inform them about what they do and offer.
How has being an advisor influenced you?
It gave me an opportunity to engage with students outside of the classroom. There are activities that build a cohort of students. I try to utilize the skills to create a support mechanism to engage students.
If you’re a college student interested in where our food comes from, or have a background in agriculture, or just want to help Michigan grow (literally), you should check out Michigan Collegiate Farm Bureau. It helps students like yourself network with peers and ag professionals, build career and leadership skills, and develop their voices as agricultural advocates.
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