Page 4 - Impact Fall 2023

CFANS ALUMNA ROBIN TIDD, ’21, TEACHES AG ED STUDENTS IN MANKATO.
Agricultural Education teachers are in high demand—both in and out of the classroom
When Liz Knutson presents to a group of people at work, she leans heavily on skills she developed studying Agricultural Education at CFANS. It’s where she learned how to set direction and expectations, to command a room, and to galvanize an audience to act. While student teaching is where she honed these skills, they’ve proven invaluable in the corporate world.
“I’m better because of the time I spent working with high school students in the
classroom,” said Knutson, who joined Corteva Agriscience after graduating with her teaching license in 2014. She now serves as Pioneer soybean
marketing leader for the U.S. “The Ag Ed major made me more versatile and, I
believe, a more marketable potential employee.”
The Ag Ed major prepares students for a variety of careers through hands-on classes, highly applicable course material, and a supportive network of staff and alumni.
“Through early field experiences, internships and student teaching, Ag Ed students are able to try on different options to find their career fit,” said Amy Smith, associate professor of Agricultural Education
and major coordinator. “By graduation,
they typically have their career path
identified, whether that leads to a
classroom, county extension office, or
the corporate world.”
Smith says that over the past three
years, 92 percent of undergraduates
who completed the program immediately accepted