As an incoming freshman at Iowa State University, I was eager to get involved and build my network. I had mentors tell me that agricultural communications is an incredibly competitive field. Their advice was simple, “Say yes to new opportunities, build your skills, and gain as much experience as possible.” The more experiences you have, the better you’ll understand what you enjoy and the stronger communicator you’’ become. Still, it was overwhelming. I wasn’t sure which clubs to join, what classes to take, or where to apply for internships and scholarships. I wanted to make the most of my college experience, but figuring out where to start wasn’t easy.
During that search, I discovered College Aggies Online.
At the time, I had never heard of the Animal Agriculture Alliance or knew much about the program itself. But I saw an opportunity to strengthen my communication skills, advocate for animal agriculture, sharpen my creative skills, and earn scholarship opportunities along the way. I figured, “Why not?” That simple decision ended up shaping much of my college career.
I participated in College Aggies Online during all three years of my undergraduate experience, and each year I walked away having learned something new. When I first signed up, I honestly didn’t expect to win anything. A few weeks into the program, I started questioning whether I should keep putting time and energy into creating content. Was my work good enough? How could it compare to what everyone else was creating? Like many creatives, I found myself battling imposter syndrome.
Then one week, I opened the leaderboard and saw my name. One of my posts had been selected as a Top Five submission. Seeing my name on the leaderboard completely changed my perspective.
For the first time, I realized my work was making an impact. That small moment gave me the confidence to keep creating, pushing myself creatively, and experimenting with new ways to communicate about animal agriculture.
One of my favorite parts of the program was seeing my content spark conversations beyond agriculture. Friends would tell me they enjoyed taking the weekly quizzes or mention they had learned something surprising, like the science behind methane emissions from cattle. Those conversations reminded me that sharing accurate, engaging information can make a real difference in helping consumers better understand modern animal agriculture. Knowing my work was helping people better understand agriculture made the long hours of content creation worthwhile. There were plenty of evenings when I stayed back to finish my weekly submissions instead of immediately hanging out with friends. They would often ask, “Why are you spending so much time on this?”
Looking back, that question made me realize something.
College Aggies Online has taught me far more than how to create social media posts or writing pieces. Each weekly challenge required me to brainstorm ideas, manage deadlines, create graphics, write compelling captions, and publish content with minimal direction. Along the way, I strengthened my project management, creativity, self-discipline, and initiative. Those experiences prepared me for my internships far more than I realized at the time. In many of those roles, there wasn’t a step-by-step instruction manual. Instead, I was expected to identify opportunities, develop projects, and find creative solutions on my own. College Aggies Online gave me the confidence to do exactly that.
Throughout college, I completed multiple internships, submitted what felt like hundreds of job applications, and interviewed with organizations across the agricultural industry. One accomplishment consistently stood out on my resume was being a College Aggies Online scholarship finalist. Nearly every interviewer asked about it.
Most had never heard of the program, so it became a natural conversation starter. It gave me the opportunity to talk about agricultural advocacy, digital communications, social media strategy, content creation, and the communication skills I had developed throughout the competition. Rather than simply listing technical skills on my resume, I had real examples and measurable experiences to discuss.
Being named a scholarship finalist for two years also earned me the opportunity to attend the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s annual Stakeholders Summit. It was the first professional conference I attended completely on my own, and I was nervous. I didn’t know many people, and I wasn’t particularly confident in my networking abilities.
Those nerves disappeared quickly. The Summit was one of the most welcoming professional events I’ve attended. Industry leaders genuinely wanted to meet students, hear our perspectives, and learn about our experiences in College Aggies Online. The conference pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I became more confident starting conversations, asking questions, and building professional relationships. It also opened my eyes to the wide range of organizations that work together to support animal agriculture and introduced me to many of the issues shaping our industry. More importantly, it reinforced the importance of building trust through proactive communication-something that remains central to the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s mission.
Looking back, College Aggies Online gave me so much more than scholarship opportunities.
It strengthened my confidence as a communicator, challenged me creatively, expanded my professional network, and equipped me with the skills that continue to benefit me in my career today. Just as importantly, it showed me that every student has the ability to become an effective voice for animal agriculture.
I still encourage classmates and younger students to participate because I know firsthand how much the program has to offer. Whether you’re looking to improve your communication skills, build your resume, advocate for animal agriculture, or simply challenge yourself creatively, College Aggies Online is an opportunity worth taking.
You never know where one simple “Why not?” decision might lead-but I can confidently say mine helped shape the career I’m building today.
All posts are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily represent the view of the Animal Ag Alliance.
