PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – Over 20 organizations took part in the annual Ag Nutrition career fair held during the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences (CAHS) week in the Agriculture and Business Multipurpose Building at Prairie View A&M University. CAHS week, organized by students under the direction of Jacklyn Sanders, Ph. D. and Tenelnger Abrom-Johnson, Ph.D. is an annual event that celebrates the college, students, faculty, and staff through events and opportunities for engagement. The Ag Nutrition career fair allowed students to interact with professionals from their future career fields, many of whom are CAHS alumni. 

To increase awareness and participation in agriculture education careers, four teachers, all CAHS alumni, participated in the career fair. Dexter Arkadie ‘78, Jacorey Burnett ‘05, John Deveraux ‘19 and Kaylin McNary ‘16 excitedly shared their passion for ag education. From greater Houston area school districts Aldine ISD (McArthur High School and Nimitz HS) and Houston ISD (North Forest HS), this team of CAHS alumni used their tablespace to display pictures, FFA memorabilia, student awards from the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, buckle awards and shared content with students looking to learn more about what it takes to become an ag teacher. “We met with several students who were on the cusp of graduating and still unsure of what they wanted to do after,” Arkadie said. “Talking to them about my decades-long career in ag was fun, sharing my memories of being a student at PVAMU, and how important it is to give back.” 

Three of our CAHS faculty researchers Almoutaz El Hassan, Ph. D., Richard Griffin, Ph. D., and Donald Stoddard, Ph.D. along with Stedman Douglas, a Cooperative Extension Program Agent, working on the vision of the CAHS Dean Gerard D’Souza, Ph.D., have started a NextGEN organization for students interested in becoming ag teachers, extension agents, and overall advocates to spread knowledge about the agriculture industry. “Having several CAHS alumni here who are currently teaching agriculture is great for our students to see,” Stoddard said. “This will encourage them to pursue a career as an agriculture teacher or extension agent, going out into communities and educating others about all things related to agriculture.” 

In addition to Aldine ISD and Houston ISD, the Ag Nutrition career fair included representatives from: United States Department of Agriculture agencies, HISD Nutrition Services (GOOD FOOD), American Meat Science Association, JBS Foods, Southwest Meat Association, US Customs and Border Protection, Holmes Foods, and more. 

We appreciate all those who participated in this event. We are looking forward to hosting the next Ag Nutrition career fair in the fall. For more information and to sign up, reach out to Dr. Sanders at jssanders@pvamu.edu. 

TeKedra Pierre
Director, Information, Impact, and Sustainability Center
tepierre@pvamu.edu