Agricultural Education Student Spotlight: Jordyn Stockton

Senior Jordyn Stockton has prepared herself for one of the most rewarding teaching areas through her academic excellence and a wide variety of hands-on experience.

The Porterville native and campus swine unit student manager has spent three years involved with all phases of livestock management on campus, which has also prepared her for internships with Seaboard Foods and Sierra Nevada Farms. She also has a plant science academic emphasis and has enjoyed helping with the campus summer ag kids camp, too.

In high school, she was actively involved with FFA as an American Degree recipient, chapter officer and citrus and livestock judging competitor. She also raised rabbits and pigs and helped with her grandmother's landscape management business.

Learn what's next on her career path after she completes her teaching certificate program in the spring of 2022 and will compete on our Meyers Livestock Judging Team. 

 

Q: Why were you drawn towards your degree field initially?

Stockton: “I have a passion for working with the younger generation as well as every area in agriculture, from plants to animals"

 

Q: Why did you choose to attend Fresno State?

Stockton: “I had been to Fresno State for multiple FFA Field Days and realized the passion the school had in their agriculture department. I wanted to attend a school where I would be getting hands-on experience in the field I planned to work in and that is exactly what JCAST offers.”

 

Q: Did you have any other family members that are Fresno State graduates?

Stockton: “My sister, Sierra Stockton, graduated from Fresno State in the Fall of 2018 majoring in biochemistry. I have also had aunts graduate from Fresno State.” 

 

Q: What was your most memorable experience at Fresno State?

Stockton: “My most memorable and rewarding experience at Fresno State is being a student manager at the Swine Unit. It has taught me so much and opened so many different doors for me.” 

 

Q: What are some of your favorite Fresno State classes?

Stockton: “My favorite classes are any of the hands-on agriculture lab classes. Floral design, ag mechanics, and the animal science classes. These classes give you an opportunity to put what you are learning to use and allow you to learn the area even more in depth and get practice in. Wanting to become an agriculture teacher, these labs are very important because it gives me an opportunity to learn hands-on in each individual area that I could end up teaching in the future.”

 

Q: Which faculty members had the biggest influence on you while at Fresno State?

Stockton: “Dr. Scott Williamson has had the biggest influence on me during my time at Fresno State. Coming into college, I had very little background and knowledge with pigs. I had shown in the past and knew the basics of raising hogs. I started as an intern with the swine unit in the Spring of 2018 and have been there ever since. ‘Doc’ has taught me so much about pigs, the swine industry, and many other life lessons that I could not thank him enough. He has allowed me to further my knowledge in the swine industry, began to prepare me for my future in teaching by allowing me to help run the intro and advanced swine labs, and he has helped me develop my skills in managing the farm.” 

 

Q: When did you start working on the campus farm, and how has it prepared you for your career path?

Stockton: “I started as an intern in Spring of 2018 and was hired in the summer of 2018. In the Spring of 2019 I became junior manager under Hugo Rodriguez and in the Fall of 2019 when Hugo left to start his new career with Sierra Nevada Farms, I moved up to Senior Manager. It has taught me about all the different areas in managing a farm, how to raise the pigs, learn about the medication aspects, and given me an overall foundation in every area where I am able to use that knowledge to pass on to my future students.”

 

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

Stockton: “I had little background in agriculture before coming to Fresno State. I joined FFA my sophomore year in high school. While in FFA, I raised rabbits and pigs, was a chapter officer, and was a part of the citrus judging and livestock judging teams. I also worked for my grandmother's landscape maintenance business throughout high school.”  

 

Q: Did you do any internships or part-time jobs while at Fresno State, and if so, how did they help you professionally?

Stockton: “In the Summer of 2019, I spent 10 weeks in Guymon, Oklahoma as a Live Production intern with Seaboard Foods.I also interned with Sierra Nevada Farms, which is located in Visalia, CA.” 

 

Q: Were you a part of any student organizations at Fresno State, and traveled to any conferences?

Stockton: “I am a part of the Agriculture Education and Communications club, and I was on the Swine Show Team. I attended the FFA National Convention with Monache FFA to receive my American Degree in the Fall of 2019.”

 

Q: What's your next career step, and what job/profession/company/etc. do you plan to use your degree with eventually?

Stockton: “My next career step will be applying for the credential program. I hope to be able to teach in the Central Valley.”