Hi, my name is Brandon Witmer and I am one of the Rock Spring Interns at the Pasto Agricultural Museum for this summer. I am a rising senior at Penn State pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Agricultural and Extension Education with a minor in Forestry. I have also completed an Associate of Science in Wildlife Technology from Penn State. Over the last four years of college, I have received so many opportunities from Penn State that is nothing short of incredible. Through different courses and experiences, I have found my true passion. Since I was younger, I have always had a passion for the outdoors and wildlife. College has given me an opportunity to explore more adventures and interests in this field and is what has led me to agricultural education.

When I started college, I began at Penn State DuBois pursuing an associate degree in wildlife technology. I was dead set on becoming a wildlife biologist because I really enjoy research and wildlife management. I had incredible opportunities to pull bear cubs out of bear dens, band northern saw-whet owls, go hawk trapping, help with elk calf capture, travel to a bat hibernacula to catch bats and so much more. I even had an opportunity to go to Kansas and volunteer with Kansas State University on a deer research project. Being able to participate in so many different research projects and eventually even conduct my own research project was nothing short of incredible.

Through all of these opportunities, I discovered my passion for conservation. I slowly began to realize just how much I enjoyed teaching people about the importance of the environment and all the different parts of it. This was the driving force for changing my major from wildlife and fisheries science to agricultural and extension education. I could not be happier to be in this major. I may be new to agricultural education and the FFA but I have learned so much and have fallen in love with it. I am looking forward to this final year of my undergraduate and starting the process of preparing for student teaching in the spring of 2020. I also look forward to this summer as the Rock Springs Intern at the Pasto Agriculture Museum. I can’t wait to begin to learn more about agriculture but to also learn important skills on how I can be a better future educator.