Everyone depends on agriculture in one way or another, but the average person continues to grow further removed from the farm. To bridge this communication gap between the agriculture community and the general public, college students from across the country are invited to come together this fall to do just that. Undergraduate, graduate students and collegiate clubs and classes are invited to sign up for the 2022 College Aggies Online scholarship competition, kicking off on September 12.
“College Aggies Online was an invaluable experience that really opened my eyes to new opportunities both personally and professionally,” said Alexis Main, 2021 recipient of the first-place overall scholarship prize in the graduate student division. “This was my first year participating, and I came into this scholarship program with zero communications experience. With help from the Alliance and our weekly mentors, I learned so much about different areas of animal ag[riculture] that I was not previously familiar with and was able to build the skills needed to effectively share our story.”
Individual participants have a number of opportunities to earn scholarship prizes. Each week, up to ten students are selected to receive mini-scholarships for their outstanding social media posts and challenge submissions. Throughout the nine-week program, students gain points and climb the leaderboard. At the end, three winners are selected for the grand prize scholarships, bragging rights and a trip to the Alliance’s annual Stakeholders Summit to be recognized on a national stage. Last year, more than $20,000 was awarded in scholarships. Additionally, students have the opportunity to network with social media-savvy farmers and industry professionals, while adding to their list of resume skills and experience.
“I loved getting to connect with other college students from across the country and learn from some great mentors,” said Sydney Mitchell, 2021 recipient of the first-place overall scholarship prize in the undergraduate student division. “With their help, I was able to learn new things and discover my style of advocating for agriculture.”
Students interested in becoming confident and effective communicators for agriculture are invited to sign up today at https://animalagalliance.org/initiatives/college-aggies-online/.
CAO would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. 2022 sponsors include: Bayer, Institute for Feed Education and Research, Domino’s Pizza Inc., Ohio Poultry Association and National Chicken Council. To become a sponsor of this year’s program, see our https://animalagalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-CAO-Sponsor-Levels.pdf sponsorship opportunities and contact Casey Kinler, director, membership and marketing, at [email protected].
