Name: Meg Marchand
Hometown: Independence, OR
Major/Minor/Concentration: Agricultural Science major with a focus in Education, Comparative International Agricultural and Leadership minors
Class Standing: Junior
What are your long-term career goals? I hope to work for the Peace Corps or something similar.
What characteristics make a good leader? I am a dedicated and adaptable individual. I am very empathetic and relating.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope to become more confident in my leadership abilities. I hope to become more comfortable in networking.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I am excited to be a part of a group of individuals in my field and be able to connect with them on both personal and professional levels.
Hometown: Draper, UT
Major/Minor/Concentration: BioResource Research major (option: Bio-Products & Toxicology), Chemistry minor
Class Standing: Junior
What are your long-term career goals? Through my education and work experience, I hope to one day be a senior researcher in Marine Microbiology utilizing modern technologies in Gerome Editing and Scientific Diving. Along with this goal, I would like to become an assistant professor in Molecular Biology or Biochemistry.
What characteristics make a good leader? A good leader is someone who takes the goals of those they’re leading into account and helps the group toward a common goal with strength but also empathy.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope to grow in areas of group communication and relatability in a group. I also hope to develop my self-confidence in personal professional interactions and I’m excited for the introspection and learning how to utilize my strengths fully.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I expect that the Academy will provide opportunities for networking with professionals and connecting with like-minded, driven peers with similar goals as myself.
Hometown: Portland, OR
Major/ Minor/ Concentration: Natural Resources major, Leadership & Music Performance minors
Class Standing: Junior
What are your long-term career goals? To become a member of the outdoor education field.
What characteristics make a good leader? A good leader is a person who is passionate about what they are doing. They can use that passion and spread to their team and get people excited about a job. A good leader is somebody who works with their team.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I’d like to improve on my assertiveness, stepping up right away into a leadership role. It usually takes time for me to become comfortable enough to assume such a role and I’d like to cut that time down.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I expect it to be a great opportunity for learning over the course of next year. I think the Leadership Academy will be very valuable experience in regards to personal development as a leader and the skills related to leadership.
Hometown: Cove, OR
Major/ Minor/ Concentration: Horticulture major
Class Standing: Junior
What are your long-term career goals? Viticulture Management
What characteristics make a good leader? A good leader displays confidence, respect, and knowledge.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I would like the Leadership Academy to improve my ability to connect with my peers and coworkers as well as improve my confidence in leadership situations.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I expect it to provide opportunities to make friends, gain connections in my career field, and provide me with skills that encourage success.
Hometown: Echo, OR
Major/Minor/Concentration: Agricultural Business major, Horticulture minor
Class Standing: Junior
What are your long-term career goals? Start my own business, something related to agriculture and sustainability.
What characteristics make a good leader? A good leader encourages, supports, and listens to people around them to do the best they possibly can. They try to do the “right thing” as much as they can.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope to strengthen conversational skills and find ways to maintain a long-term relationship/rapport with others around me.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I hope Leadership Academy will help enhance my experience at OSU by helping me gain skills to successfully network and connect with people/my community to eventually acquire a career I will enjoy.
Hometown: Dayton, OR
Major/Minor/Concentration: Double major in Agricultural Business Management & Health Management & Policy
Class Standing: Sophomore
What are your long-term career goals? To start my own farm or Agri-Tourism site.
What characteristics make a good leader? I am a positive and motivating person. I love to create harmony and unity in teams/groups. I also really like to focus on improving little things one at a time instead of being unrealistic.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope I can strengthen my communication skills and ability to bring change to campus. I also want to bring more awareness about agriculture to the students on campus.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I think the Leadership Academy will help me make great connections with my peers and help me network with great professors or companies that are here at OSU.
Hometown: Lakeview, OR
Major/Minor/Concentration: BioResource Research major (option: Biotechnology & Toxicology), Chemistry minor
Class Standing: Senior
What are your long-term career goals? I would like to go to Med School to eventually become a dermatologist and open my own practice.
What characteristics make a good leader? I am an extremely driven goal-oriented and ambitious individual. I love to motivate others and guide them in the direction of a common goal.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope to further develop my interpersonal communication skills as well as make new friendships and connections with fellow peers that have similar views and goals.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I expect Leadership Academy to expand my horizons and abilities in the fields of organization, communication, and quality and effective leadership.
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Major/Minor/Concentration: Natural Resources & International Studies major (concentration in International NR Economics, Policy, and Conservation), French minor
Class Standing: Junior
What are your long-term career goals? Natural Resource Lawyer for international development/engaging in local NGOs for collaborative conservation.
What characteristics make a good leader? Ability to synthesize all ideas of the team I’m leading into more concise formats. Willing to be flexible, but also hold to certain deadlines.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope to grow my skills in interpersonal communication in leadership, as well as learning more about how to apply leadership in my own life and future career in conservation and policy.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I believe this will enhance my personal and professional growth during my academic career.
Hometown: Salem, OR
Major/Minor/Concentration: Agricultural Business Management major, Communication minor
Class Standing: Senior
What are your long-term career goals? To work for the Farm Credit System.
What characteristics make a good leader? A good leader is aware of his/her strengths and weaknesses. A good leader is able to encourage and empower those around them.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope to learn more about my weaknesses and develop those characteristics into strengths.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I’m hoping to gain professional experiences with faculty, other students, as well as industry professionals. Networking with this diverse group enhances my collegiate experience.
Hometown: Bow, WA
Major/Minor/Concentration: Agricultural Education/Ag. Science major
Class Standing: Senior
What are your long-term career goals? As a high school or middle school agriculture teacher, I want to inspire future generations of youth to explore the agriculture worlds, be exposed to potential careers, and be able to educate others where food and fiber come from.
What characteristics make a good leader? Good leaders live up to their full potential when they encourage and inspire others to lead. They are impactful and create a sense of excited purpose in groups they are a part of.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I want to learn to work with other leaders who vary in style and experiences in order to better work with others in my professional and personal life.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? Leadership academy will help me develop soft skills that complement my academic course load and will supplement my education to make me a better teacher to my future students.
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Major/Minor/Concentration: Fisheries & Wildlife major (Avian Research)
Class Standing: Freshman
What are your long-term career goals? To study birds for the rest of my career and provide others research opportunities.
What characteristics make a good leader? I am a very passionate individual. I wish to provide opportunities for others as people have done for me. Enthusiastic personality and confident.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope to be able to convey my ideas in an effective manner for others to understand. Share and tell my story to connect with many individuals.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? To meet with others who also wish to become leaders within the university. Gain more connection throughout the university and be more successful.
Hometown: Ashland, OR
Major/Minor/Concentration: Food Science and Technology major, Chemistry minor
Class Standing: Sophomore
What are your long-term career goals? My long-term career goals are to work in research and development, making health-conscious products that support a variety of different lifestyles (vegan, gluten-free, etc.). I am also interested in food safety.
What characteristics make a good leader? To me, a good leader is somebody who makes personal connections with people and becomes an approachable figure of knowledge and guidance.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope to grow in being a more outspoken leader who is better at dealing with larger groups of people.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? By providing me with opportunities to connect with different majors and communities, I expect Leadership Academy to help me grow in areas such as being able to communicate with diverse groups of people.
Hometown: Escondido, CA
Major/Minor/Concentration: BioResource Research major (option: Toxicology & Biotechnology), French minor
Class Standing: Senior
What are your long-term career goals? Work in a laboratory doing toxicology research as well as field studies. The more travel, the better.
What characteristics make a good leader? I am independently successful but am great at motivating others to make goals and carry through with responsibilities. I love getting to know people individually and making them feel valued.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope to improve my communication skills as well as finding a way to set myself apart from the crowd.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? This is a great way to meet like-minded individuals and set myself ahead of my peers by enhancing my soft skills.
Hometown: Portland, OR
Major/Minor/Concentration: Agricultural Sciences major, Leadership minor
Class Standing: Senior
What are your long-term career goals? I would like to work for an outdoor environmental education program, teaching youth about plant science.
What characteristics make a good leader? I believe a good leader is someone who is driven, caring, and compassionate. They want to make a positive impact on others and are motivated to put in the hard work that it takes to get there.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope to gain a deeper understanding of myself as a leader and how to apply those leadership skills to my career. I also hope to make connections with others in my career path.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I expect Leadership Academy to help me become engaged within the university, and to help me make strong connections to leadership in both my classes and through personal and professional connections.
Hometown: Acworth, GA
Major/Minor/Concentration: BioResource Research major (option: applied genetics and Toxicology), Chemistry minor, Medical Humanities Certificate
Class Standing: Senior
What are your long-term career goals? I would like to achieve an MD Ph.D. I plan to practice forensic pathology and study population genetics, specifically, the genetic factor which influences the morbidity and mortality in the community I will serve,
What characteristics make a good leader? A leader is an individual who is able to efficiently manage a group of people in the way they prefer to be led. To be able to accomplish this, the leading individual should be an open and receptive listener and have a high aptitude for adaptability and compromise.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope to increase my management and planning skills.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I hope that this experience will help me as I assume the position of president of the OSU SACNAS chapter and cultivate the leadership skill I will need as a practicing physician.
Hometown: Silverton, OR
Major/Minor/Concentration: Agricultural Business Management major, Crop Science minor
Class Standing: Senior
What are your long-term career goals? I want to work in Agriculture Finance or as an appraiser to provide value to farms and members of the agricultural community in the Willamette Valley.
What characteristics make a good leader? A good leader is someone with high integrity who leads by example. They must be a good communicator who can assess the needs and do what is best for the group.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope to grow my leadership by becoming a more effective communicator and vocal leader. I want to learn to work better in group settings.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I expect to meet lots of cool new people, share some fun and helpful experiences with them, and develop my leadership skills. Hopefully, they will come in useful over the duration of my career.
Name: Eduardo Santa Cruz
Hometown: Hood River, OR
Major/Minor/Concentration: Animal Science major (Animal Management option)
Class Standing: Senior
What are your long-term career goals? My long-term goals are to work in the beef industry. I want to work for a feedlot or cattle ranch. I also want to own a cattle ranch.
What characteristics make a good leader? A good leader is one that can set a good example for others to follow. A good leader is also capable of helping others that want to succeed and become better leaders.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope to grow in areas of personal leadership as well as group leadership.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? It will give me a chance to interact with new people and build on my leadership skills to prepare me for the workforce. It will also give me a chance to learn more about other potential employers and careers in different areas.
Name: Ben Rietmann
Hometown: Condon, OR
Major/Minor/Concentration: Agricultural Business Management & Ag Science majors, Spanish minor
Class Standing: Sophomore (Senior in credits)
What are your long-term career goals? I am hoping to work in international agricultural development or marketing after graduation, but I am still considering all of my long-term career options.
What characteristics make a good leader? A good leader is someone can guide a group, rather than forcing them to do their bidding. They also are decisive and able to communicate well with others.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope to improve my leadership skills as well as other skills such as communication.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I expect the Leadership Academy will allow me to connect with a variety of students and professors.
Hometown: Central Point, OR
Major/Minor/Concentration: BioResource Research major (option: Animal Reproduction & Development), Leadership minor
Class Standing: Sophomore
What are your long-term career goals? I want to be a veterinarian; my largest interest is in the area of surgery.
What characteristics make a good leader? A leader is someone who positively influences a group of individuals toward a common purpose or goal. A leader is a role model, who has integrity, honesty, works hard, and encourages others.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope I can grow as a leader in terms of skills and ability to work on teams and work with people. I hope to expand my knowledge of different aspects of leadership to become a more complete leader.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I know Leadership Academy will allow me to connect with a mentor, peers, faculty, and also business and industry professionals. It will also prepare me for other leadership opportunities within Oregon State University and beyond.
Name: Rachel S. Lertora
Hometown: Astoria, OR
Major/Minor/Concentration: Fisheries & Wildlife major, Spanish minor
Class Standing: Sophomore
What are your long-term career goals? Informal education of salt water and marine fisheries. Visiting grade school classrooms/working at aquariums/hatcheries educating the public on the importance of protecting fisheries.
What characteristics make a good leader? A leader is someone who guides others to fulfill their highest potential and achieve goals by teaching, sharing experiences, and investing in the success of others. A leader is someone who has the best interest of all people and goals in mind.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope to expand my leadership skills into professional and college level skills by learning how to network within my field of study and across disciplines to other fields that can establish collaborative partnerships. I also hope to expand collaborative skills working with diverse groups of people.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? Through the Leadership Academy, I will be able to connect with people within the college of Agricultural Science. While these people may have similar interests but varying experiences.
Name: Bailey Jenks
Hometown: Browns Valley, California
Major/Minor: Agricultural Science major, Crop Science minor
Class Standing: Senior
What are your long-term career goals? I’d like to use my knowledge in production agriculture and my passion for communication and education to bridge the gap between farmer/rancher and consumers. So many people are unaware of the daily tasks farmers and ranchers face, and sometimes lack to see the big picture of the agricultural industry. My goal is to shed a positive light and educate people as to where their food comes from.
What characteristics make a good leader? I’ve never been a follower. I always use my personality and people skills to relate to people and show them the support they need in order to achieve.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I’d like to be able to work on handling my emotional side. As cliché as it sounds, I tend to make hefty decisions when I probably shouldn’t. I’d like to recognize when I am too emotionally involved in a subject to make a sound decision based on the facts presented to me.
How do you expect Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? Going into my 4th year at OSU, I’ve gotten my hands into a lot of different clubs and organizations due to my social personality. However, I haven’t had many interactions with a majority of the students that make up this year’s cohort. I am beyond excited to create new friendships and be able to professionally grow with colleagues I might end up working with in my career one day.
Name: Ericka Lepschat
Hometown: Banks, OR
Major/Minor/Concentration: Agricultural Science, Leadership minor
Class Standing: Sophomore
What are your long-term career goals? High school Ag teacher/FFA Advisor.
What characteristics make a good leader? Some characteristics that make a good leader is someone who is dependable, caring and trustworthy. You want to be able to fully trust your leader.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope to grow in my ability to present myself in a professional manner and to be confident in my ability to speak to a large group.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I believe it will help me gain contacts throughout the university and help me find my place in the community.
Name: Maggie Collins
Hometown: Heppner, OR
Major/Minor/Concentration: Agricultural Science major with a focus in education
Class Standing: Senior
What are your long-term career goals? My long term career goal is to become a high school agricultural teacher.
What characteristics make a good leader? In my mind, a good leader is a servant who uses their skills to help better everyone and move them forward. Some of these skills and traits include being personable, having humility, good character, confidence, work ethic, and eloquence
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? My hope is that the Leadership Academy will teach me to be more organized, more confident, better at time management, and will also help me improve my speaking.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? The Leadership Academy will help me better develop skills that will help prepare me to get a job in the future. I hope that the academy will provide me with experiences and knowledge of being a leader that will not only benefit me in my career, but also in my life.
Name: Ameyalli Manon-Ferguson
Hometown: Salem, OR
Major/Minor/Concentration: Fisheries and Wildlife Science major with a specialization in Native American Ecology, Spanish minor, Ethic Studies minor with a focus in Native American Studies
Class Standing: Senior
What are your long-term career goals? My long term career goals are to work on conserving ecologically and culturally significant species in cooperation with indigenous peoples.
What characteristics make a good leader? Good leaders take initiative and are proactive in fulfilling needs in their communities. They lead by example so that, rather than doing it all themselves, they inspire others to make a change.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through the Leadership Academy? I hope to gain the skills and tools to expand my leadership potential by learning alongside my peers.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I hope to expand my horizons and to learn about new resources here on campus in order to get the most out of my last two years as an undergraduate.
Name: Lauren Thalhofer
Hometown: The Dalles, OR
Major/Minor/Concentration: Rangeland Ecology and Management major
Class Standing: Junior
What are your long-term career goals? My dream job would be to advocate for the rights of ranchers in regards to the Wild Horse and Burro Act.
What characteristics make a good leader? To me, a good leader treats any individual under their leadership with respect. A good leader praises rather than criticizes whenever possible, but seeks out constructive criticism for their own actions.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through the Leadership Academy? I hope that my experience with the Leadership Academy will help me become better at delegating tasks, listening to others, and motivating other people.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I believe that through the Leadership Academy, I will make new friends as well as professional connections. I believe that the Leadership Academy will help to tie me more securely to the university and will help make it feel more like home.
Name: Hanna Hagler
Hometown: Belmont, CA
Major/Minor/Concentration: Fisheries and Wildlife Science (specializing in mammals, animal behavior, and systematics)
Class Standing: Senior
What are your long-term career goals? My dream is to work in the field of comparative vertebrate anatomy and systematics to identify the ecosystem changes that caused major evolutionary events in specie populations and their physiology so that we may better understand the niches they fill to protect those niches. My long term picture goal is to make connections between ecology/evolutionary biology and current management strategies in a research or museum setting. My short term goal is to bridge the gap between the undergraduate research I have already done and having my own independent research in graduate school.
What characteristics make a good leader? Some characteristics that make a good leader involves being patient, understanding and giving gentle criticism if needed. A good leader should also be able to give useful insights and listen to all perspectives to an issue to make a decision that will benefit the community as a whole.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I want to develop my skills in conflict management. I want to be able to manage conflict in the context of group projects or team lab work. I also want to improve my networking skills in terms of creating and maintaining relationships. Networking is important to forging connections that may lead to jobs in the future. I would love to grow in terms of self-confidence in my professional and personal life. My goal is to be able to be self-reliant and trust in myself.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? The Leadership Academy will push me to pursue more leadership positions with confidence in the future. Hopefully, this Academy will help me become a better person in all aspects of my life and teach me how to lead others to success. I am also looking forward to meeting with my mentor and learning from his life experience. Most of all, I will enjoy growing and changing with my cohort over this new year. I will use the Leadership Academy as a foundation for the rest of my life.
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Name: Alicia Collier
Hometown: West Linn, OR
Major/Minor/Concentration: Food Science & Technology: Fermentation option, minor in Chemistry
Class Standing: Senior
What are your long-term career goals? I hope to be content in whatever field it is that I land in.
What characteristics make a good leader? A leader is someone who is understanding, determined, and able to work independently. Most importantly, a leader is someone who is confident and proud of the work that they’ve done.
In what specific areas do you hope to grow through your involvement in the Leadership Academy? I hope to acquire some of the qualities listed above and network with other Leadership Academy fellows.
How do you expect the Leadership Academy to enhance your experience at Oregon State? I hope to meet some great people and to better my own personal growth.