Graduate Research Spotlight: Rachel Coelho 

Jordan College graduate student Rachel Coelho is excited to work on research with our faculty to create a handbook to help the agricultural industry better utilize social and digital media platforms.

The Turlock native's interest in the area started as an undergraduate student as she worked towards her agricultural communications degree (while participating in a host of campus clubs & working for the campus Ag One Foundation).

Read how her recent internship with the California Table Grape Commission led to a full-time position (& a great opportunity to shape community relations & communications for one of the state's leading industries) in this recent interview.

  

Q: Why did you pick your graduate research topic, and how will this help the agriculture industry?

Coelho: "As an agricultural communications major focused on advertising and digital media, this project idea aligns greatly with my interests. Since social media plays such a significant role in communications and advertising today, I believe it is important for any agricultural organization to have a strong presence, in order to better communicate their messages to consumers and the general public. The handbook will be easy to follow and allows agricultural organizations to create, implement, and/or enhance their current presence."

 

Q: Which faculty are you working with, and what type of guidance are they giving you?

Coelho: "I am working with Dr. Avery Culbertson and Dr. Steve Rocca. They are providing me with guidance on what courses to take, how best to structure my project plan, and where to start in terms of developing the project. They are also helping me navigate graduate school in a general sense, which is greatly appreciated."

 

Q: What are some of the most important things you've learned from this research?

Coelho: "I am learning from this research that social media already plays an important part in the spreading of agricultural information, however there is always room for growth, and for more implementation of social media within communication plans of agricultural organizations."

 

Q: After graduation, what's your potential next career step, and how do you plan to use your degree?

Coelho: "Currently, I work at the California Table Grape Commission in communications and social media, and I would love to continue working there after graduating, advancing my career there as best I can."

 

Q: How will this research help you on your career path?

Coelho: "This research will strengthen my knowledge and skills in the field of social media in relation to agriculture, including areas such as: common misconceptions, content creation, copywriting, consumer research, consumer communication, and more."

 

Q: Why did you choose to attend Fresno State?

Coelho: "I completed my undergraduate degree at Fresno State, and have a love for the school. The agricultural college is close-knit, and I knew there was nowhere else I would want to complete the master's program. Additionally, my job is in the area, and I knew I wanted to keep my job through this program, as well as stay living in the area."

 

Q: What types of ag-related clubs were you involved with on campus?

Coelho: "I was involved in the Dairy Club, Agricultural Ambassadors Program, and Portuguese Club."

 

Q: What is your background in agriculture before you started at Fresno State?

Coelho: "My family farms almonds in Turlock, California. My grandfather used to farm grapes and corn as well. The generations prior to my grandparents on both sides of my family were dairy farmers. I grew up immersed in agriculture, living on almond orchards and participating in organizations such as 4-H and FFA."

 

Q: Do you have any of your family members that also attended Fresno State?

Coelho: "My uncle, Loren Coelho, also attended Fresno State and graduated with a degree in agricultural science in 1997."

 

Q: Do you receive any type of Jordan College scholarships?

Coelho: "Yes, I received the Ag One - Roy Isom Memorial Scholarship as well as the William W. Hansen Memorial Scholarship."

 

Q: Talk about your work experience with the Ag One Foundation on campus, and other internships while you were an undergraduate student.

Coelho: "As a student assistant with Ag One, I had receptional and secretarial responsibilities, as well as getting to help with event and fundraiser planning and coordination."

Coelho: "I also interned at the California Table Grape Commission before obtaining my full-time job there, in which I carried out some of the same duties I do now. I was the social media and community service intern, and now I am the social media and community service coordinator."

 

Q: How did that internship prepare you on your career path?

Coelho: "It was a preview of the entire job, just on a simpler scale. I was surprised at the amount of information I learned throughout the duration of the internship from all of my bosses, and from being immersed in the field."

Coelho: "Internships are key these days, and I am very glad I got one under my belt before graduating with my bachelor's degree. They give students a taste of the professional world in a different way than college can, due to the fact that one is actually being thrown into the work environment, which is extremely different from learning about it in a classroom. It also provides insight into the career one is wanting to go into, and can make or break students' final decisions to either stick with the career path they have been planning on, or re-route their career plan if they discovered it was not what they wanted to do. This is what mine did for me!"