A Fun Weekend at the Ambassador Summit

From January 18th through the 22nd , we hosted the 2014 Ambassador Leadership Conference, which gave us the opportunity to connect with other ambassadors from all over the country.  The schools that attended included The Ohio State University, Purdue University, Auburn University, University of Arizona, University of Kentucky, University of Georgia, and University of Florida.

On Saturday, we participated in seminars given by professionals from Dow AgroSciences, and we toured the La Chua Trail at Paynes Prairie.  It was a great day for a walk on the trail, and it was really awesome to show all our guests one of Gainesville's hidden treasures.  There were a ton of huge alligators everywhere!

We left Gainesville Sunday morning to head to St. Augustine.  The bus ride was a great opportunity for us to get to know students from other institutions.  When we arrived in St. Augustine, we did a scavenger hunt on St. George Street, which is the historic downtown of the city. It was neat to see so much history. After that, we toured the Castillo de San Marcos, which is one of the oldest forts in the country.  We were able to watch the park volunteers fire the cannon.  The entire fort tour was like a step back in time; I recommend everyone going there for a visit.

On Monday, we got a behind the scenes look at the Anheuser-Busch plant in Jacksonville and a tour of EverBank Field. At EverBank field we were able to actually go out on the field, and we probably spent a good half hour just playing around on the field and taking some awesome pictures! I really can’t decide which one was my favorite of that day.

Finally, on our way back to Gainesville, we stopped in Hastings at UF’s Research and Extension Center, where they do all kinds of research with potatoes.  It was fascinating to hear the researchers talk about all the potato varieties they test for production.  Did you know a potato variety has to go through 10 years of testing before it is released for farmers to use? 

Overall, the trip was a really rewarding experience.  We walked away with first hand knowledge of the agriculture industry, complete with behind the scenes looks.  Of course, lifelong friendships were made with students from the other colleges, and plenty of new Facebook friends.

- Brian Skipper

Spring Back!

There’s nothing like the start of a new year. A fresh start. A time to start off on the right foot this time. We often use the excuse of a new year to finally start doing the things we know we should. I hate to say this but January is the honeymoon month. It’s almost like the free month trial that Netflix offers. Before you know it, you’re stuck paying $8 to further your procrastination. I think we all have this idea that we need to make drastic changes in our lives to finally reap the benefits that life has to offer. However, it is in this pursuit towards superhuman that we start to lose sight of what’s really important. Are we making changes for ourselves or for others?

Backtracking a little bit, my winter break was exactly what I needed. I finally had time to do the senseless things I love to do. If you couldn’t tell by my Netflix reference that I am TV junkie, then I am letting you know now that I am. When I wasn’t glued to my TV screen, I spent time with my family, visited the beach often, and really had time to reflect and take an introspective look at my year. As my break reminded me of all the great opportunities I’ve had thus far, I couldn’t help but ponder about what was to come.

For me, this semester marks a milestone in my life, since this is my last semester as an undergraduate student. Of course I want to make the most of this semester. Spending every moment with my best friends, trying all the local restaurants, going on spontaneous trips, this is my idea of having a last hoorah. As my time here at the University of Florida comes to a close, I can truly say that I’ve had an enriching college experience. I am no longer that unsure high school senior but a soon-to-be college graduate with a unique perspective on life.

My advice for my fellow college students this semester is this: Push yourselves enough to break free from your comfort zone. Challenge yourselves in every aspect of life. Be the person that you would want to spend your time with.

A dash of confidence and pinch of faith can go a long way.

- Sherin Thamarasseril