FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 25, 2018
Contact: Wendy Smith, Assistant Vice President of Strategic Communication (307) 675-0412, wsmith@sheridan.edu
Claire Barnes, Writer/Editor (307) 675-0416, cbarnes@sheridan.edu
Seven Sheridan College agricultural program students recently had the opportunity to put their skills and knowledge to the test when they traveled to Louisville, Kentucky, to compete at the 2018 National Postsecondary Agricultural Student Organization Conference. They competed against almost 700 students from both two-year and four-year colleges in 37 states and excelled in several individual and team categories.
Designed to provide opportunities for individual growth, leadership and career preparation, the annual competition gives the nation’s top students enrolled in agriculture, agribusiness and natural resources at two-year and four-year colleges the opportunity to hone their skills and network with industry representatives.
Madison Anderson, a first-year agriculture business major from Ten Sleep, Wyoming, won first in the nation in the individual agriculture sales contest. Each student was required to come up with a product and then pitch it to judges. Anderson chose to sell something close to home – grass-fed beef raised on her family’s ranch – and the judges selected her as the winner from over 80 students.
In addition, all students were required to compete in mock interview competitions. Zane Tunby placed fourth in the agribusiness employment interview; Jessica Stockett took ninth place in the feeds/animal health employment interview; Tyler Thormodsgard placed eighth in the livestock production employment interview; and Anderson took fourth place in the agriculture sales employment interview. In team competition, students Matazie Thoman, BreAunna Moore and Stockett placed seventh in the Equine Specialist category.
Agricultural faculty member Chuck Holloway has taken Sheridan College students to the PAS Conference for the past 15 years. He has served as a member of the board of directors for two years and was recently elected as board chair of the organization.
According to Holloway, over 90% of student who attend the PAS conference will go on to work in agriculture. Many of the nation’s top agricultural businesses, such as John Deere and Monsanto, attend the conference to network with students.
“The conference is a great opportunity for students to practice interviewing, network with industry professionals and build their resumes,” he said. “Because it is at a different location each year, it also exposes our students to the huge variety of opportunities that exist within the agriculture industry.”
Over the years, students who have attended the conference have had the opportunity to visit everything from a large-scale winery to a maple syrup farm.
“The conference also proves to our students that they are just as competitive as students from large, four-year colleges,” Holloway said. “And it provides them with opportunities to make connections they’ll be able to utilize after they graduate.”
