Salutations,
My name is Lauren K. Bates and I’m a senior in the department of Agricultural
Education and Communication with a minor in Leadership. My specialization is in
Communication and Leadership Development. I really enjoy my department. We are
relatively small, which allows you to easily connect with the students and
professors. Since the start of the semester, I’ve been
going non-stop. I’m currently taking 12 credit hours, 6 on-campus and 6 off-campus.
I also work 15-20 hours a week and hold executive offices with many different
organizations on campus. This will help me to be competitive, when applying for
jobs after graduation in May.
My two on campus classes are AEC 3209 –
Instructional and Event Planning in Agricultural and Life Sciences instructed
by Becky Raulerson and AEC 3209 – Working with People: Interpersonal Leadership
Skills taught by Dr. Tony Andenoro. Event
planning has had a slow start, focusing mostly on careers in event planning, selecting
event sites, site management, and the importance of understanding contracts and
budgets. After this semester, I hope to have gained the knowledge and skills to
plan my own event and feel confident that it will be a success. We will also
learn how to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of a workshop or
presentation at an event, which will be an asset in my future endeavors.
Interpersonal Leadership is by far my
favorite course this semester. I absolutely love how the class is set up, and I
enjoy attending every Monday and Wednesday. This class takes a different
approach to your traditional lecture. Dr. Andenoro has at least two students
share a story every day. This story may be a defining moment from their lives,
which has created a foundation for who they are and who they aspire to become.
This exercise has really taught me not only how different we are, but also how
similar I am to my classmates. I already feel so close to each one of them, and
I’m excited to share my story with the class on November 19th.
Another assignment will be creating our own personal leadership
philosophy. Each student has to demonstrate his or her leadership philosophy by
a creative alternative means, which means a paper won’t cut it! The professor
explained that some students in the past have related leadership to trains, or horseback
riding…and then explained how their perspectives and aspirations affected their
leadership practice, effectiveness, and the effectiveness of their
followers. YEAH! Some deep stuff guys! Basically, it’s by far the coolest class
I’ve ever taken. If you have the chance to take Dr. Andenoro for a class…DO
IT!
The other classes I’m taking are AEB 3133
Principles of Agribusiness Management and AEB 4424 Human Resources in
Agribusiness both taught by Professor Jane Bachelor. They aren’t in my
department, and are online. So to be honest, I’m not too excited about these
courses. However, I will hand it to Ms. Bachelor for at least making an online
business class somewhat interesting for a communications major like myself. She
actually does Adobe sessions where you can log on and interact with her in a
chat room style setting. You can ask her questions as she goes over the
PowerPoint lectures and offers extra credit for watching. If you can’t log in
at the time posted, the session is saved for you to view on your own time,
which is really convenient for students who are busy.
What makes my major unique compared to the
other majors in CALS? It really focuses on communications within agriculture. I've taken many courses that have taught
me the correct way to film for broadcast news, how to create a brochure using Adobe InDesign,
and many theory based courses on leadership development. My favorite classes
are with Dr. Ricky Telg, who oversees the communications aspect of the
major.
Outside of school, my life has been
non-stop, and I hardly have any time to even sleep. I stick to a strict
schedule. I’m currently involved with Alpha Tau Alpha, a national honor
fraternity for students in Agricultural Education and Communication. I’m
serving as the undergraduate president. We already have a few great events
lined up for this year. My sorority, Sigma Phi Lambda, has just finished rush. We
have inducted 44 new members into our sisterhood. As Vice President, I was very
busy making sure rush ran efficiently and had to plan all the interviews with
new members. I’ve also started planning socials with my directors and our
semi-formal for the end of the semester. These new pledges are really on fire for
the Lord. As an officer, this is the most exciting part of my job.
I’ve also been blessed with the opportunity to serve as the
Vice Chair of Chomp the Vote, which is a student initiative to help students
register or update their voter information, educate students about political
issues, and provide conducive measures to encourage students to vote. Besides
College Republicans, I have never been given the opportunity to serve in this
capacity. What makes it really special is that it’s non-partisan. I get to work
side-by-side with college democrats and republicans to motivate students for
the election.
For me, life as a Gator is busy. I really
enjoy every aspect of college life. I feel that I’ve gotten the most out of
what the University of Florida has to offer. My words of advice…get involved! I
have learned so much through involvement and life lessons that a classroom
could never have taught me. I also have assembled what I believe to be an
impressive resume. It is something I’m proud of and makes me excited to begin
my job search in a few months. After college, I would really enjoy working as a
social media analyst or a viral marketing coordinator. Thank you for your
interest in the college!
“A leader, once convinced a particular course of action is
the right one, must have the determination to stick with it and be undaunted
when the going gets tough." – Ronald Reagan
Live long and prosper.
God bless and Go Gators!
God bless and Go Gators!
Lauren K. Bates
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Lauren Bates
Class: Senior Major: Agricultural Education and Communication Minor: Leadership |
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