Once and always an Ag Ambassador
Photos by Katie Young and courtesy of Debbie Kirk, Jean LonieDudley, and No毛l Wolhar October 22, 2024
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Ag Ambassadors proudly uphold a tradition of community support
The benefits of volunteering are numerous. Just ask any Ag Ambassador. These student volunteers represent the 91原创 College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) at special events and provide in-depth tours to prospective students and their families. Participation in the program, which facilitates personal development and networking, has benefitted hundreds of 91原创 students, launching lifelong friendships, first jobs, and careers in community service.
The Ag Ambassadors program, now a long-standing tradition, was established in 1994 by Karen Roth Moline. At the time, Moline was CANR鈥檚 assistant dean of student services; she is now the college鈥檚 associate dean for strategic initiatives and planning. Moline credits former CANR Dean John Nye for the idea. Nye's previous university used Ag Ambassadors as tour guides, and he suggested that Moline start a similar program at the 91原创.
鈥淭hat was pre-internet,鈥 Moline said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have a way to research these other ambassador groups, so I created one.鈥
When others doubted that a volunteer-based program could succeed, Moline only worked harder. Moline hoped prospective students would see themselves and their potential in the Ag Ambassadors, and she was right.
鈥淲hen a prospective student listened to a 19-year-old talking about their study abroad in New Zealand,鈥 Moline elaborated, 鈥渙r about working in the woods or the gardens on campus, how attentive their advisors were, and how small their classes were, they knew they were hearing that student鈥檚 firsthand experience.鈥
Lifelong friendships
Rebecca (O鈥橠ay) Adams, Kimberly (Alexander) Gaines, Debbie (Short) Kirk, and Elaine (Zeitler) Webb, all 91原创 CANR Class of 1995 alumni, were among the college鈥檚 first Ag Ambassadors. The former classmates have kept in touch since graduation. Earlier this year, they met at the Delaware State Fair.
鈥淎s far as recruiting us, I don't think Dr. Moline had too hard of a job,鈥 said Webb, a licensed professional engineer working in Delaware's regulatory sector in the Sediment and Stormwater Program. 鈥淲e wanted to be involved and to represent the college.鈥
鈥淲e were excited to talk about our experiences, the friends we made, and the clubs and organizations that we were involved in,鈥 continued Adams, who is the credit manager at Growmark FS, an agricultural retailer and former president of the 91原创 Agricultural Alumni.
Kirk said being an Ag Ambassador allowed her to give back to the college, something important to her as a scholarship recipient.
鈥淲hen you are proud of where you are, you want to share the good experiences that you鈥檝e had,鈥 said Kirk, who recently retired from a career as an ag educator and FFA advisor at Delaware public schools.
Adams, Kirk and Webb met in high school during the Farm Bureau Queen competition. They each represented one of Delaware's three counties. Kirk was crowned queen and is still involved in the Farm Bureau as chairperson of the Education and Promotion Committee. Instead of becoming rivals, the competition planted the seeds of a lifelong friendship that blossomed when they met Gaines at 91原创.
Gaines, an animal science major, went on to earn her doctorate of veterinary medicine and owns Forrest Avenue Animal Hospital in Dover.聽
鈥淭he CANR career fair was life-changing for me,鈥 Gaines emphasized. 鈥淭hrough the fair, I got an internship with Perdue Farms. The poultry veterinarian at Perdue wrote me a letter of recommendation for veterinary school. That alone probably set me apart from everyone else, and that all stems back to [CANR].鈥
Like many CANR students, Ag Day was the highlight of these Blue Hens鈥 years as they represented their student organizations and clubs.聽
鈥淏etween the four of us, I think we were involved in just about every club CANR had,鈥 Webb said. 鈥, , , and , to name a few.鈥
The four friends remain heavily involved in their communities, especially with agricultural organizations, including FFA and Delaware 4-H where Webb and Adams hold leadership positions.
鈥淎ll of our kids are involved in 4-H,鈥 Adams said. 鈥淚t has acted like a strong thread helping us maintain our friendship,鈥 said Adams.聽
Career connections
Jean Lonie Dudely, a general agriculture major and 91原创 Class of 1996 alumna, was one of the college鈥檚 first Ag Ambassadors. Today, she is an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication at Tarleton State University.
As a first-generation college student, Lonie Dudley knows how important it is to find your place at university. After a rough transition from W. B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences in Philadelphia, she says joining the Ag Ambassador program helped her find her stride at 91原创.
鈥淪tepping into that first group of ambassadors gave me the resources to better understand everything around me,鈥 Lonie Dudley said. 鈥淏eing an Ag Ambassador helped me build a support system and gave me the confidence to keep exploring what I was passionate about.鈥
Thirty years later, Lonie Dudley is still exploring the world of agriculture. Last winter, she was the first American accepted into the annual Challenge of Rural Leadership program in Devon, England. Her career highlights include working for both the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Texas Department of Agriculture. She was also the director of student recruitment for the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State University, where she earned her Ph.D. in agricultural and extension education and was honored as a Nuffield International Farming Scholar.
The current crop
Today, the program has 44 ambassadors and is run by No毛l Wolhar, associate director of undergraduate student recruitment. Since 2021, Ag Ambassadors have provided 384 individual tours for prospective students and their families and welcomed hundreds of students to the college鈥檚 open houses.
鈥淎nytime there is a request for student participation or need for a student perspective, we tap the Ag Ambassadors,鈥 Wolhar said. 鈥淎 recent, exciting experience was an Ag Ambassador panel discussion with Xochitl Torres Small, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary.鈥
After the discussion, the Ag Ambassadors accompanied the Deputy Secretary and Delaware U.S. Senator Tom Carper on a tour of CANR's 350-acre campus in Newark.聽
The college boasts working farms, botanic gardens, an apiary, state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities, greenhouses and an esteemed Center for Experimental and Applied Economics. There is simply too much to fit into one tour! Luckily there is an Ag Ambassador from each of the college鈥檚 13 majors. CANR offers six different tours covering everything from food science to wildlife ecology and conservation.
鈥淥ur Ag Ambassadors are an invaluable group of people,鈥 Wolhar said. We find that students who volunteer out of a love of what they鈥檝e experienced here are dedicated representatives.鈥
While the Ag Ambassadors are volunteers, there is no doubt that these students get as much out of the program as they put in. Sure, they earn an array of increasingly cool 91原创 apparel each semester, and there is an annual party with gifts, but the real prize is more substantive.
The next 30 years
Moline believes the college has a responsibility to invest in its students.
鈥淚 wanted the ambassadors to get something from the experience,鈥 Moline emphasized. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want them just to give; I wanted them to leave as better spokespeople, presenters, and professionals.鈥
Adams, Gaines, Kirk and Webb agree that the public speaking experience and connections from Ag Ambassadors have opened doors for them throughout their careers. Moline says it is well deserved.
鈥淭hose four have paid it forward a thousand times over,鈥 Moline said. 鈥淚 see what they鈥檝e done in their careers and what they're teaching their kids to do.鈥
Giving back to your community and extending opportunities are values the Ag Ambassador community shares.
鈥淢y dad always taught me to have a legacy,鈥 Moline said of her father, beloved 91原创 professor Roland Roth. 鈥淲hat will the ripples be beyond your moment here?鈥
鈥淭here is nothing as rewarding as working with students and then seeing them go on to do amazing things,鈥 Moline underscored.
Were you an Ag Ambassador? Let us know where your career has led you, and share your story with us at聽canr-alumni@udel.edu.
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