Sydney Linse forged her own path on her way to her degree.
Linse will graduate from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Dec. 21 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural leadership, education and communication, and is the first to receive her degree as part of a new 3+1 program between UNL and Chadron State College.
“Hopefully, (3+1) helps bring more ag educators to the field, to have more than one option,” she said.
Linse grew up on her family’s ranch near Springview, Nebraska, and participated in FFA at Keya Paha County High School, where she was an officer in the club for four years. She said both of those experiences, along with her mother’s career as a teacher, inspired her to pursue a career in ag education.
“My direct connection to agriculture has played a big role in why I am so passionate about advocating for agriculture,” she said. “My goal is that every student will leave my classroom as an informed consumer so they can also advocate for agriculture.”
When she initially settled on a college path, she didn’t feel prepared to move straight from her hometown of around 250 people to Lincoln. Linse began her college career at Wayne State College to study elementary education. While she was there, she missed being involved in agriculture and decided to transfer to Chadron State College. Through this transition process, she realized that she could put her passion for agriculture and teaching together.
A degree specializing in agriculture education was not available at Chadron State, so she got in touch with Matt Kreifels, associate professor of practice in agricultural leadership, education and communication, to explore a transfer. The new 3+1 program ended up being the perfect fit.
Under the 3+1 program, students can take three years at Chadron, transfer for one semester to the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, then complete their student teaching in northwest Nebraska, if they choose, for their last semester.
Linse said she can’t imagine not working in an ag-related field.
“Working in agriculture is no easy task,” Linse said. “I love seeing the results of the hard work I put in every day. This is similar in the classroom. As a teacher, it is very rewarding when your students get rewarded for all of the hard work they have put in.”
Her transfer also gave Linse the opportunity to take classes that weren’t available at Chadron State. Linse’s time in Lincoln helped her connect with others who will also be working in ag education in the future. She said this networking was an opportunity to get to know people she will be able to go to for advice and guidance once they are in their own classrooms.
“To see those familiar faces will be beneficial,” she said. “It will help me to be able to reach out with a phone call or an email and ask for guidance.”
Linse student taught in Valentine, Nebraska, this fall, and she enjoyed experiencing the strong agriculture community in that town. She said her mentors at the school helped prepare her for the next stage through their guidance and hands-on training.
“I was able to learn how to provide hands-on learning opportunities for students and how to create a successful agriculture education program,” she said.
Linse will work on her family’s ranch this spring while looking for jobs in ag education in north central Nebraska and she’s most looking forward to connecting with students, her favorite part of student teaching. She said the 3+1 program allowed her a level of freedom she needed to get to the finish line of commencement.
“I think there are several students in the same shoes as me,” Linse said. “They don’t want to go to the university right away, so I think creating another option like Chadron State College is a great opportunity. We will always need more agriculture education teachers and my hope is that this program will provide an opportunity for more agriculture education teachers to enter this amazing career field.”
