Blinn agricultural sciences student selected for prestigious ag program
Jameson hopes to promote Agriculture Future of America on campus
November 21, 2019
A prestigious program has given Blinn College student Sierra Jameson a jump start on a career in agriculture.
A freshman in the Blinn College Agricultural Sciences Program, Jameson recently returned from the Agriculture Future of America (AFA) Leaders Conference in Kansas City, Mo.
The AFA Leaders Conference is a four-track program designed to offer college students four different personal and professional development opportunities matched to their year in college. The program bridges the gap between academic, leadership, and work experiences while helping students understand the impact of their decisions.
Jameson, who grew up in the small community (population 239) of Roaring Springs, Texas, said she learned about AFA while serving as a state FFA officer. Jameson was active in FFA at the high school, state, and national levels.
“Growing up, my mom would always talk about the FFA and how much it impacted her,” Jameson said, “but I never really understood what she meant until I got to high school.
“It was really a miracle that I was even accepted to the (AFA) conference. When I was applying, I had no idea what kind of opportunities were waiting for me when I arrived at Kansas City.”
Students also get an opportunity to network with peers and leaders in the agriculture industry, and to learn about career opportunities in food and agriculture, Jameson added.
“I was contacted by presidents and CEOs of companies about internship opportunities and future job opportunities as a freshman in college, all because of my acceptance into the AFA tracks and conference,” she said.
“I was so blessed to have this opportunity, but as I talked with some of the directors of AFA, I asked if I could become an ambassador for Blinn because I believe other Blinn students could get involved and have these same opportunities. I will be working with them in the future so hopefully the AFA can broaden more horizons for students like myself here at Blinn.”
Jameson also received a $1,800 scholarship that covered her costs to attend the conference and was selected to receive a $2,000 scholarship for her next semester. After transferring to a four-year university, she will pursue a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness.
“My family has always been involved in agriculture so it was always just a big part of my life,” she said, “but as I got older, I definitely began to understand how necessary what my family does for a living is to sustaining the world.”
A four-time all-state golfer at Motley County High School, Jameson was offered a scholarship to be on Blinn’s inaugural women’s golf team.
“I was accepted and enrolled at Texas A&M when the golf coaches contacted me,” said Jameson, “and I soon realized that Blinn was a phenomenal opportunity for me to continue in a smaller school atmosphere and to continue playing golf on a competitive level.”
Jameson said she wants to help spread the message among young people that agriculture is a viable career. She feels so strongly about it that it was the topic of her speech in Blinn’s recent “Speak Up! Speak Out!” public speaking contest.
“It really is a tragedy that my generation doesn’t have the pride in the family farms and ranches like my grandparents’ and parents’ generations did,” she said. “I believe our generation can stop the false idea that nobody can make money farming.”
Blinn’s Agricultural Sciences Program is approximately four times the size of any other two-year agricultural program in the state and offers agriculture classes on all of its campuses, with the W.J. “Bill” Rankin Agricultural Complex serving as the program’s hub. Blinn is an active member of the Agriculture Consortium of Texas and maintains close associations with department heads and representatives from all Texas agriculture universities to ensure a smooth transition for students. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu/agricultural-sciences.
