Ag student continues AS tradition
Reelected AS Senator-At-Large juggles work, class and family
Photo courtesy of Megan Jacobsen
Megan Jacobsen comes from generations of farmers. Her family home in Easton includes vineyards and animals such as Shrimpy, her family’s pygmy goat. |
By Tainese Arceneaux
The Collegian
IT’S MORNING and the sun has yet to rise to warm the earth.
You are warm and snuggled into your bed catching the last winks of sleep when the screech of a rooster’s call jolts you awake.
You can’t roll over and slap this alarming bird into the snooze position, so you have no other choice but to welcome the sunrise and begin your chores.
This might seem like early morning torture to some of us, but not to sophomore and Associated Students Senator At-Large Megan Jacobsen.
Growing up in Easton, a small town right outside of Fresno, this was a routine wake up call for 19-year-old Jacobsen.
Instead of seeing morning traffic outside her windows, Jacobsen greeted her day with a view from the family’s grape operation.
“To wake up and see vineyards outside your window instead of traffic, there is nothing else like that,” Jacobsen said.
Jacobsen likes to say she is the daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of a farmer. Not only that, she is the daughter of her community.
“It is where I get my passion for agriculture,” Jacobsen said. “The other farmers in the community are like family to me. Things that affect them and their farm affect the community.”
Even at an early age Jacobsen was aware of the issues that affected her community. Sitting around the dinner table with her father Ray, mother Debbie and older brother Ryan, she discussed the problems of land, water, air and urban sprawl.
But Jacobsen understood that just talking around the table was not going to fix the problems. She knew that to change the issues, people have to get involved.
“My family was a good example,” Jacobsen said. “My mother served as president for the Fresno County Farm Bureau and my brother was a pre-veterinarian major at Fresno State.”
Her brother, Ryan, graduated with a bachelor’s of science in Animal Science in 2002 and in 2004 graduated with a master’s in Business Administration with an emphasis in entrepreneurship. He plans to use his education for the agriculture industry.
“He was my mentor growing up,” Jacobsen said. “He would never talk down to me but helped me understand issues that were affecting Fresno State.”
Jacobsen said her brother is the reason why she decided to get involved with AS. She had a lot to look up to. Along with graduating with honors, Ryan Jacobsen served as the Associated Students President for two terms.
While her brother served as Fresno State’s AS president, Jacobsen served in the Associated Student Body at Washington Union High School in Easton.
As a part of ASB, Jacobsen learned that one of the most important things for a student to do is to get involved in school.
“Martin Luther King said the life’s most urgent question is what are you doing to help others,” Jacobsen said.
She carried this motto into her college career as she served for AS.
“Ryan said that trying to get students involved was always a struggle for AS,” Jacobsen said.
To get rid of this issue Jacobsen became a mouthpiece to convey this message across campus. In her freshman year Jacobsen served as press secretary for AS.
“As a public relations person I helped build relationships with AS and the media,” Jacobsen said. “I worked with the radio station [on campus] to publicize events on campus, to get students involved.”
Jacobsen helped start the program “Campus Issues Monthly,” which brought to light issues that affected students, staff and faculty.
The show is now “Campus Issues Weekly.”
Jacobsen has continued spreading her message as senator in charge of student activities.
During the football season Jacobsen helped plan the alcohol-free tailgate which was successful in giving students a fun and safe way to party after the university cracked down on excessive drinking during tailgates the year before.
She also planned various ASU Productions such as free movies and the lecture series.
“By getting the students there we are showing them what college offers,” Jacobsen said. “[The activities] create more exposure to and awareness of campus diversity, something that I think we take for granted.”
Jacobsen takes her college life to the fullest degree. During the week she goes non-stop 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“I have class at 8 a.m., work at 9:15 as the university communications staff writer, intern for the Ag communications program and then go to three labs for my major,” Jacobsen said.
Though she has a lot on her plate, Jacobsen is a person who gets the most out of her college experience.
“I am very busy but I love it because I am involved with the school,” Jacobsen said.
Her day’s activities do not stop at 5 p.m. After taking a break for dinner and maybe a little time for homework, Jacobsen moves on to her evening schedule.
For instance on Monday nights she works on the AS marketing team as publicist for AS.
On Wednesday nights she works on the Future Farmers Association field day committee. During these meetings, she helps plan leadership competitions for high school level students.
“These competitions help prepare you for everything,” Jacobsen said.
Jacobsen fondly remembers her days in FFA.
“Instead of showing animals I became a chapter reporter,” Jacobsen said. “I would go around and do stories about the FFA. It built confidence.”
For the FFA national proficiency, Jacobsen was apart of the National Floral Culture Team. She learned everything from how to arrange flowers to running a business.
“I had to learn how to take and make orders, we had to do interviews with the judges, there was a lot of public speaking involved,” Jacobsen said. “FFA really created who I am.”
From an organization that promotes premier leadership, personal growth and career success, Jacobsen coupled her passion for agriculture with her new found desire for public speaking.
“I was looking for a way to put agriculture together with journalism,” Jacobsen said. “So I decided to major in agriculture communications as a way to convey the importance of agriculture.”
She interned for KPC Communications to publicize the issues of water use in the Western Water District.
Jacobsen furthered her public relations experience while working on her first political campaign for Phil Larson, now chairman of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.
She participated in media nights, which was an effort to build relationships between the media and the Fresno County Farm Bureau.
“I really want to advocate the importance of agriculture in the United States,” Jacobsen said. “I want to help people understand how important it is to have a self-reliant food source and how we regulate it.”
She said people must understand that the United States has the ability to grow its own food and that it is a valuable resource.
Jacobsen wanted to go to a school that understands and advocates the presence of agriculture in the Valley.
“I chose Fresno State for its agriculture and the experience has been great,” Jacobsen said. “The classes are unique and hands-on, not just a lecture.”
Jacobsen said professors like Dr. Bruce Roberts and his patient ability to teach, inspire the way she handles people in her line of work.
“I am not a very good science person, but he takes time outside of class to help me understand the subject,” Jacobsen said. “Like him I want to use my knowledge to help people. To do this I have to be patient, concise and understood.”
Jacobsen was reelected as a Senator At-Large for the 2006-2007 school year.
“I’m really excited, its looks like we’re going to have a great Senate next year,” Jacobsen said.
Jacobsen said she hopes to work more with the activities committee.
Over the past year her committee helped with the unveiling of the Jane Addams statue in the Peace Garden. Jacobsen hopes to be more involved in programs such as the REDZONE, which promotes student attendance at athletic events.
“The more they [students] get involved, the more it enriches our college experience,” Jacobsen said.
When Jacobsen graduates in 2008 she hopes to put her experiences from the farm, FFA and Fresno State toward a career public relations.
“Anything that advocates agriculture,” Jacobsen said. “I’d like to work for an in-house PR firm or work on a political campaign for someone who supports agriculture.”
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