1. Ambassadors
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Past Abassadors

2021-22 Ambassadors

Ellie Hanson

Sophomore majoring in Agricultural Sciences
and EOU Business Administration
I am Ellie Hanson, and I am a sophomore majoring in Agricultural Sciences and EOU Business Administration.
 
I grew up outside of Woodburn, Oregon, on my family’s Century farm, where we raised purebred Hampshire and Southdown Sheep. I have been privileged to show around the state and country in 4-H, Open, and Junior sheep shows. Once attending Silverton High School, I was actively involved in FFA and developed leadership and professional skills. This environment has given me a deep passion and appreciation for agriculture and the people in it. Following this passion, I know I want my career to serve agriculture, whether through agriculture business, finance, trade, or policy. When it came time for me to decide where I was going to college, I wanted to go where I knew I could expand my knowledge of Oregon Agriculture. Being from the Willamette Valley, I have learned a lot about different commodities, but this knowledge only represents one growing region. Agricultural production in Eastern Oregon looks different than it does in the Willamette Valley. By attending EOU and being involved in the OSU Program, I hope to expand my knowledge of Oregon agriculture. I have loved the small class sizes, inviting community, and personal development opportunities that have been offered through this program.
 
This year I am incredibly excited to be serving as an OSU Ambassador. I look forward to working with current students and recruiting new prospective students. The OSU program at EOU offers many opportunities for students to continue their education. I am eager to help them find the right option for them.    

Deidre Schreiber

Sophomore majoring in Agricultural Sciences
Minor in EOU Communications
I am currently a first year student at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande studying Agricultural Science. After completing my degrees, I plan to return to my roots in production agriculture. I want to work alongside the people who provide our world with its food, fuel and fibers.
 
I grew up in rural Wallowa County splitting my time between Enterprise and Imnaha. On the ranch, we raised commercial cattle and spent lots of time horseback. I was an active member of both 4-H and FFA, where I served as a State FFA Officer in 2019. I have always loved hands-on learning and knew I wanted to go to college somewhere that fit my learning style. The small class sizes and rural environment made my transition to EOU very easy. Currently, I am working at the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center in Union. Being able to feed and see cows everyday gives me the opportunity to learn and feel at home at the same time.
 
As an ambassador I hope to share the benefits of attending EOU, while completing an OSU degree. I look forward to representing EOU and OSU and helping students find the best fit for them!

Savannah Moe

Junior majoring in Agricultural Sciences
Minor in Animal Sciences
I was oblivious to the hard-working, passionate, and selfless people in the agriculture industry until my family moved into the middle of a wheat field in Sherman County Oregon. Growing up in the small town of Wasco, I became involved in the local FFA chapter where I found a place in the new environment that I call home. Throughout the years in chapter office, I grew as a leader and made invaluable connections with my community. The competitions, meetings, and memories that I was able to partake in, helped me find my way to Eastern Oregon University where I am majoring in Agriculture Science and minoring in Animal Science. When I graduate, I hope to go get my master’s degree in Agricultural Education with the hopes to become an Ag teacher and FFA advisor.
 
I came to Eastern Oregon University to take advantage of the small class sizes and amazing support that the University offered to me transitioning from high school to college. During my time at EOU, I have been involved in numerous activities including the Agriculture Club, intramural sports, and the Residence Life Club. At the university, I work closely with residents in the dorms to help them find resources and help them find a place at EOU.
 
I hope to continue fostering an inclusive community and continuing a legacy of the welcoming environment here at Eastern Oregon University. I am honored and excited for the opportunity to serve as one of the 2021-2022 OSU Ambassadors.

Tori Reynolds

Majoring in Agricultural Sciences
Minor in EOU Communications
My name is Tori Reynolds. I am currently junior standing at Eastern Oregon University and will be serving as an OSU Ambassador my senior year of school as an Agricultural Science and Communications major.
 
I am from Prineville Oregon, which is the smallest town in Central Oregon. As a young kid we had a few cattle and horses, along with a couple pigs and some chickens. We farmed and I was out in the field with my parents, either on my mom’s back or trying to keep up as soon as I could walk, ‘helping’ carry pipes and setting the hooks. After living in Montana for 4 years, where I got to observe the different ag related jobs my dad held, we moved back to Oregon, and were farming again in a couple years. This time I was old enough to carry pipes by myself, meaning that I was helping with most of the work of irrigating, as well as helping deliver, load and unload hay. We have been farming ever since, and part of the task is now helping teach my younger siblings the ins and outs of irrigating, and working together to get the job done.
 
I was also involved in 4-H collectively for 10 years, 1 in Montana and 9 in Oregon. Throughout my years in 4-H, I had projects in foods, sewing, crocheting, teen leadership, junior leader, horticulture, vet science, and archery, along with showing poultry, horses, and beef breeding when I was 17 and 18. When I was 16, I won a breeding scholarship through 4-H and purchased a commercial red angus heifer, to both show in 4-H and to use as the base for a commercial red angus herd of my own.
Through 4-H, I was presented with many agriculture related leadership opportunities, including teaching younger members about their projects, as well as how to show their animals. Through this, I discovered a love of educating and communicating agriculture to anyone who would listen, but especially to those who did not know anything about agriculture. I loved watching people connect the dots of things they were learning with things they knew, and watching the lightbulb come on for them. This led me to pursue my degree in Agricultural Sciences as well as Communication Studies, and ultimately, I hope to figure out the best way to educate the greater public, young and old, about agriculture and how the industry affects so many different parts of our world.
 
Being an OSU Ambassador is the first opportunity I will be engaging in through OSU and CAS, other than working toward my degree. As an ambassador, I am looking forward to talking to prospective students about the program at EOU and studying agriculture. I am also looking forward to gaining more experience talking to the public and answering questions, even those I don’t know, in a calm and confident manner, as well as perfecting my conversational and people skills.

2020-21 Ambassadors

Abigail Berhorst

Senior majoring in Agricultural Sciences
Minor in Business Administration
2020-21 Student Director

I’m currently in my senior year here at EOU majoring in Ag Sciences with a minor in Business. Upon completion of my bachelor’s degree here at Eastern, I will work towards my Master’s in Ag Education with the plan to serve as a high school Ag teacher and FFA advisor.

I grew up in Yamhill, Oregon on my family’s small farm raising sheep and hogs. Growing up in a small school district, I was looking for a college where I could still make personal connections with my classmates and professors. EOU had everything I was looking for in a college from the smaller class sizes to the immediate sense of belonging after meeting the OSU/EOU faculty and professors. This program has given me many opportunities and experiences that I don’t think I could have gotten at another campus and I know it will aid me in my future.

After serving my first year on the College of Ag’s Ambassador Team for the 2019-2020 year, I was excited to return as the 2020-2021 Student Director. I look forward to representing EOU and the OSU partnership program once again to help students discover their path and find the best fit for them!

 

Amie Coffman

Senior majoring in Agricultural Sciences
Minor in Animal Science

I grew up in the small town of Athena, Oregon where my family raises cattle. My passion for agriculture started at a very young age and has continued to grow over the years. I started 4-H when I was in fourth grade and participated in showing livestock. Once I started high school, I immediately joined FFA and was elected into an officer position each year. Throughout high school, my FFA advisor was always there for me no matter what and she pushed me to be a better student and person. After graduating high school, a year early, I chose to go to Eastern Oregon University because it was close to home and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to go to school for. Once I learned more about the OSU program, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to be involved in. I chose to be an ambassador because I want others to know about the OSU program and have the opportunity to attend smaller classes and get to know the professors.

I am currently a senior studying Agricultural Sciences with a minor in Animal Science. When I complete my Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Sciences, I will continue my education to earn a Master’s of Science in Agricultural Education in Corvallis. I plan to pursue a career as a high school Ag teacher and FFA advisor with the end goal of either continuing my education and becoming a university professor or teaching at a community college. I am honored and excited for the opportunity to serve as one of the 2020-2021 OSU Ambassadors.

 

Kaylee Littlefield

Senior majoring in Rangeland Sciences

I grew up in Silverton, Oregon on two acres where my family and I had a garden and two llamas. After graduating high school in 2005 I earned my Culinary Arts Management Certificate and Associate degree from Central Oregon Community College in 2008. While working in commercial kitchens and bakeries every spring and fall I helped at a ranch that my friends manage and this piqued my interest in animal science and range management. I went back to school in 2009 at Linn Benton Community College (LBCC) for Animal Science. While attending school at LBCC I learned about the OSU Ag and Natural Resources program in La Grande, OR. However, after going to community college and trying to support myself on a part-time job and full-time school my GPA took a huge deficit and I was put on academic probation so I quit and decided not to go back to school. At this point, I went to work on a blueberry farm in Albany for a couple of years as a pesticide sprayer till I was laid off for the winter. I ended up working in the service and retail industry for several years after that, and in 2016 I decided to start school again. I picked up where I left off, applied to Eastern Oregon University, and moved to La Grande. I ran into a few complications with the admissions process, financial issues, and my low GPA. In the fall of 2017, I was determined to make changes in my life and walked into the Admissions Office at Eastern Oregon University and wouldn't leave till my application was accepted. I was enrolled in classes in less than two weeks.

Opportunities:

Since my acceptance into Eastern Oregon University, I worked hard to increase my GPA and with the help of the OSU faculty, I was accepted into OSU in 2018. Since then I have been a part of the EOU Ag Club, and have attended and presented posters at the annual Society of Rangeland Management meeting (SRM) twice. Each summer I have had an internship related to Rangeland Management and have increased my work experience on my resume. Such as an internship with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation doing invasive weed surveys, a Branch Experiment Station Internship collecting data on the Zumwalt Prairie pertaining to native bee and pollinator habitat, and a Crew Lead position at the OSU Experiment Station in Burns, OR collecting data for a Wildfire mitigation and rangeland fuel and forage study. Participating in the Branch Experiment Station internship I was able to present a research poster at the regional and international SRM meetings in Denver, CO, and Pendleton, OR. My results will also be used in a bigger research project for native pollinator habitat.

As a non-traditional student, I am looking forward to being an Ag Ambassador to help traditional and non-traditional students, like myself, to get started in classes and be proactive in their education and involved in school activities.

 

Emily Gluch

Senior majoring in Agricultural Sciences
Minor in Global Foods and Agribusiness

In the heart of Western Idaho and Eastern Oregon lies my fundamental roots in the agricultural industry and the ambition to gain a bachelor’s degree through Oregon State. Growing up in Weiser, Idaho I have learned the values of agriculture through FFA and 4H. My aspiration for a career in the cattle industry has started when I bought my first Charolais female heifers. In the future, I envision a cattle analyst career to predict futures and managing a stocker operation.

Currently, I am a dual-enrolled student at Eastern Oregon University and Oregon State University majoring in Agricultural Sciences as well as a minor in business. In the fall of 2020, I will be in a Senior with the intent to graduate in spring of 2021. Several experiences have led me to Oregon State including, snake river stampede calf scramble, earning an American FFA Degree, and working for a Reined cow horse operation. The opportunities Oregon State has brought in my undergraduate learning are networking with Corvallis professors and learning the principles of agriculture at a rural public school in La Grande. The most prominent experience this past year is lobbying for lowered tuition for public schools at the state capital while representing the Eastern Oregon Trapshooting team.

The ambassador role at Oregon State is an opportunity to represent the College of Agricultural Sciences with enthusiasm for the future students. Personally, I am ecstatic to network with local high school students and recruit students to a diverse university. I believe to recruit and network with high school students to an institution, enthusiasm, and energy will make a great impact on the future.

2019-20 Ambassadors

Abigail Berhorst

Junior majoring in Agricultural Sciences
Minor in Business Administration

I grew up in a small, rural community raising sheep and hogs on my family’s farm in Yamhill, Oregon. I found my passion for agriculture during my freshman year of high school when I became active in my FFA Chapter. This organization and my FFA advisor had a great impact on me during my time as an active member. This motivated me to pursue a degree in something I am truly passionate about Ag Education. Through FFA, I had the opportunity to travel around the State of Oregon for competitions and learn more about the agriculture industry. My chapter traveled to Eastern Oregon for multiple events and I immediately fell in love with the area. That is when I became interested in Eastern Oregon University and the OSU/EOU partnership program. Growing up in a small school district, I was looking for a college where I could still make personal connections with my classmates and professors. After meeting with the OSU/EOU faculty and professors, I discovered EOU had everything I was looking for in a college, from smaller class sizes to an immediate sense of belonging.

 

I am currently a junior studying Agricultural Sciences with a minor in Business Administration. After I complete my Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Sciences, I will continue my education to earn a Master’s of Science in Agricultural Education in Corvallis. I will pursue a career as a high school Ag teacher and FFA advisor with the goal of making a positive impact on future generations in agriculture. I look forward to serving as an OSU Ambassador for the 2019-20 academic year!

 

Wyatt Neal

Junior majoring in Agricultural Sciences
Minor in Rangeland Ecology and Management

I knew from a very young age Agriculture was for me. I first attended Montana State University and competed on their Rodeo and Livestock Judging teams. After a term, I decided moving closer to home was the best option and the OSU Agriculture and Natural Resource Program at Eastern Oregon caught my eye. I visited the EOU campus and met with the Academic Program Coordinator, Michelle Hines, and Chad Mueller, Animal Science Senior Instructor. I then knew this was the place for me! The campus has a small community persona and the students in the Ag program have not only become my friends, they are my second family.

 

Emily Sandberg

Senior majoring in Agricultural Sciences (OSU) and Business Administration with a concentration in Global Foods and Agri-Business (EOU)
Minors in Animal Sciences and Crop Sciences

I was born and raised on a small farm outside of Newberg, Oregon, where I grew to love agriculture. Throughout school I was heavily involved in 4-H and FFA and raised sheep. These two organizations have taught me so much about the different sectors of agriculture, as well as providing me the opportunity to meet people in the agriculture industry.

After high school, enrolling in a small college with an agriculture program was something I knew I wanted to do. When I visited EOU, I was introduced to an OSU Ambassador. I knew right then and there La Grande was the perfect fit! I enjoy the OSU Ag Program in La Grande because class sizes are small and you get to know the professors, who truly care about the students and want you to succeed.

Over the past two years, I have been and EOU Ambassador. I have really fallen in love with this campus and connecting with prospective students. I am excited to travel, learn and recruit for the best hidden secret within the state of Oregon - Oregon State University's Agricultural and Natural Resource Program at EOU!

Ethan Gallant

Junior majoring in Agricultural Sciences
Minor in Business Administration

I grew up on a hay farm in Boring, Oregon and currently work for Rovey Farms in Union. After I graduate, I plan to partner with my dad on our family farm. I will be a 5th generation farmer in the Gallant family.

I chose to attend EOU because I love the small town feel and like how agriculturally centered this town is. My mom, aunt, and uncle all attended EOU, so I have always considered EOU an option. When I decided I wanted to study agriculture in college, I discovered OSU offers Ag degrees at EOU, and then my mind was set.

 2018-19 Ambassadors

Amanda Courtois - EOU Biology/OSU Agricultural Sciences Minor; Weiser, ID

Hayley Hall - Agricultural Sciences; Paradise Valley, NV

John O'Toole - Agricultural Sciences; Drewsey, OR

Eduardo Salas Rodriguez - Crop and Soil Sciences; Mattawa, WA

 

2017-18 Ambassadors

Samantha Buhrig – Agriculture Sciences; Vale, OR

Codie Lagao – Agriculture Sciences; Sisters, OR

Katie Sotelo – Agriculture Sciences; Milton Freewater, OR

2016-17 Ambassadors

Tess Hamby - Agricultural Sciences

Olivia Morton - Agricultural Sciences

Wyatt Rodin - Natural Resources

Katie Sotelo - Agricultural Sciences

2015-16 Ambassadors

Myranda McFetridge - Agricultural Sciences

Wyatt Rodin - Natural Resources

Brandi White - Natural Resources

2014-15 Ambassadors

Celena Hefner - Agricultural Sciences and Business Administration

Marco Juarez - Agricultural Sciences

Kristine McMurray - Agricultural Sciences and Business Administration

Jessican Scriven - Agricultural Sciences