OSU ACT club helps students “Become tomorrow’s leaders today” at Night for Young Professionals

By ​Kylie Ramirez, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow, Ohio State University

Night for Young Professionals is a long-time tradition for students at The Ohio State University in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. The Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow club organizes this event for an evening of networking and professional growth, thanks to its sponsors Ohio Soybean Council and soybean checkoff. 

Seats were full at both the Columbus and Wooster campuses where students enjoyed a complimentary City Barbeque meal. 

Reagan Feldner, ACT leadership committee chair thanked everyone who showed up “dressed for success, and eager to learn,” during her welcome. Julia Brown, Ohio Soybean Council, and Bernadette Arehart, Ohio’s Country Journal and Ohio Ag Net, took the stage for a conversation about the contributions of Ohio’s soybean farmers to the success of the event.

“We see a need to encourage young people to get involved in agriculture,” said Brown when asked why Ohio Soybean Council wants to support the program. “We see value in supporting people who have already taken that first step, all of you are in the college of agriculture.”

Michael Bailey, vice president of strategic partnerships at Ohio Farm Bureau, served as keynote speaker for the event. 

“We are a resource for you, not just tonight, but for the years and decades to come,” Bailey said. “We can talk, scholarships, internships, job opportunities, networking, being part of our 75,000 members across the state of Ohio.” 

Bailey covered a list of “Tools in your leadership toolkit,” where he spoke on the importance of continuously growing in leadership. He shared 10 tools with attendees: 

1. Good leaders are good followers.
2. Write goodly (learn to write well). 
3. Never send an email/ text while angry.
4. Run effective meetings.
5. Make your bosses look good.
6. Learn from horrible bosses.
7. Provide your best advice. Then execute.
8. Delegate well. It’s hard but necessary. 
9. Someone will always be watching you.
10. You gotta go to grow (to grow and broaden, you have to move around). 

“Keep seeking new tools, professional and leadership tools, carry them with you through your career and share them with others, but keep refining those tools,” Bailey said. 

Following Bailey’s presentation, attendees were dismissed to breakout rooms of their choice. Breakout rooms included:

• Preparing a higher-level resume with Caitlin Conrad, Career Advisor at College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and Lucia Hadella, Career Advisor at School of Environment and Natural Resources

• Diving into Life – Advice for Graduating Seniors with Christine Dilley, CEO at MAD Scientist Associates, LLC, Dominic Parisi, HR Consultant at The Ohio State University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Daylen Fruits, Employee Engagement Specialist at Bane-Welker Equipment

• Landing the Internship – Advice for Undergraduates with Michael Bailey, Vice President Strategic Partnerships at Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Nathan Louiso, Owner at Axis Seed, Axis Ohio and Candace Lease, Executive Administrative Manager at ST Genetics

• Mock Interview – Dos and Don’ts with Lori Culler, Founder and Owner at Ag Hires

“I am thankful I attended this event; I learned a lot from the internship breakout room” said Alora Brown, animal sciences student. “It’s a great opportunity to develop professionalism while still being in an educational setting.”