I am glad you had the opportunity to virtually meet some of our Governor School Leaders (GSLs) in the last post.  As the On-Site Director, I have the opportunity to be in residence right along side our ten outstanding GSLs and the ninety-eight Gov School students.  The on-site director coordinates the hiring and training of staff, and the implementation of the Gov School program. Our GSLs range from rising Sophomores to PhD candidates in agricultural fields as diverse as Animal Science, Environmental Sciences and Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education.

I am a second-year PhD student in the Virginia Tech, Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education. Before coming to Virginia Tech, I worked as a youth program manager, where I implemented summer camps, youth leadership programs and other life-skill development opportunities.  These educational programs were done through both short- and long-term events. Additionally, I earned a Masters in Education from Cornell University and a Bachelors in Agricultural Business Management from SUNY Cobleskill.

Because of my previous youth development professional experience, I bring a youth development approach to the Governor’s School for Agriculture.  I believe that the program is not only about academic development, but also about our students growing in their own personal development. Opportunities for youth development comes from many activities outside of the direct curriculum.  Some of these learning opportunities include completing their Global Seminar papers, posters, and brochures in teams.  They also have to manage their own time to complete their many Global Seminar projects. While they are working on their Global Seminar projects they are also attending class and figuring out how to balance their social life, free-time and homework. Through staff training, I have tried to instill in our outstanding GSLs that they are helping our students grow.

I am excited for the month ahead and look forward to having a fantastic summer!

Jeremy Elliott-Engel