Senior Spotlight: Morgan Henson

Fresno State senior Morgan Henson has found many new & innovative ways to work with Jordan College students, staff & faculty while completing her agricultural education bachelor's degree.

The Clovis native has proven a valuable student staff member for our Institute for Food and Agriculture, while also helping with the Jordan College's ACRS21 project that is creating a national certification program for career skills for high school, community college and university students.

She has also served as president of the campus ag education & communications club & has been active in the meat science club. In high school, the Clovis FFA member was also a California FFA state champion in meats judging & competed in livestock shows throughout the state.

Read more about this accomplished #FresnoStateGrad (& daughter of faculty members John & Judy Henson) in this recent interview.

 

Q: Why did you choose to attend Fresno State?

Henson: "Right out of high school I moved to Northern California to attend Sonoma State University. I eventually came back to the Valley and attended junior college for a year in order to transfer into Fresno State. I chose to come back because I realized my future career was going to be in agriculture. In my opinion, Fresno State is the number one school in California for agriculture, and I was happy to return to my roots and begin my time here as a student." 

 

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

Henson: "I was involved in agriculture from a young age, and I started my first livestock project as a 5th grade student in 4-H. In high school I was an active member of Clovis FFA, competing on multiple judging teams and raising livestock. My most notable accomplishments from this time were: 1. Winning the state championship for meats judging and competing at the National FFA contest and 2. Raising a total of 8 show steers which I took to dozens of livestock shows up and down the state of California." 

 

Q: Did any of your family members also attend Fresno State?

Henson: "Both of my parents attended Fresno State and they are now professors of Animal Science here (John and Judy Henson)."

 

Q: Talk about any research projects you've been involved with.

Henson: "I am a student assistant on the ACRS 21 ( Agricultural Career Readiness Skills for the 21st Century) grant. It is a certificate pathway program that is designed to demonstrate the value of soft skills within the workplace. Hands-on education programs (such as FFA) have been shown to increase students’ ability to perform these career readiness skills when they enter the workforce. Therefore, it is vital to prioritize those skills that employers value most. By conducting this research and starting this program, we will be able to identify those skills and integrate them into a nationwide program for high school students. This, in turn, will allow colleges to prioritize instruction surrounding those skills that will enable students to be successful in their future careers."

 

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

Henson: "I had the privilege of working with Dr. (Sharon) Freeman on the ACRS 21 grant. Now, as a student entering the graduate program at Fresno State, I am proud and excited to have Dr. Freeman as an advisor and I am honored to have the chance to return the copious amount of support she has always shown me."

 

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

Henson: "Through my work on these research projects I have gained so many valuable skills including everything from communicating effectively to creating and editing videos." 

 

Q: Talk about any internships or part-time jobs you have had, and what types of responsibilities you had.

Henson: "I am a student assistant for the Institute for Food and Agriculture and have had the opportunity to collaborate with personnel university on multiple projects within the Jordan College (including the Gibson Farm Market, the Viticulture and Enology Research Center, and the Dean’s Office. I have helped design and create videos as part of a distanced learning curriculum for children, know as “Ag in a Bag”. I have also managed multiple service-learning students on a video editing project, assisted in coordinating and running the 39th annual Agribusiness Conference, and aided in research, writing, and planning for multiple grants. This eventually led to my decision to write my own grant to fund a project that would create virtual tours of hundreds of high school farms in California. Dr. Susan Pheasant (director of the Institute for Food and Agriculture) has been a huge part of my success here at Fresno State. She inspires me to work harder every day and I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with her at IFA."

 

Q: What skills or experiences did you gain from these work experiences that they can apply to your potential career options?

Henson: "My involvement in both ACRS 21 and IFA have allowed me to have the opportunity to learn, engage, create. I have participated in so many things that would not have been possible otherwise that will certainly make me a better future educator." 

 

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

Henson: "I was president of the Agricultural Education and Communications Club this past year. Prior to COVID I was also involved in the Meat Science Club." 

 

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

Henson: "I have been accepted as am agricultural sciences master's degree student here at Fresno State. I will also be pursuing my teaching credential to eventually become a high school agriculture teacher."