Friday Feature • VAST Discovery Career Day

Friday, October 13, 2023

Melissa and I enjoyed a day at the farm as much as the 700 high school students who enjoyed hands-on activities and learned about so many ASC career choices.

It takes a village to bring people together for one special day that high school students are not likely to forget. Walking around I could see how effective this Veterinary, Agriculture, Sciences, and Technology Career Discovery Day is for students and living up to its acronym as a VAST experience!

This past Thursday, Oct. 5, approximately 700 high school students received an immersive experience on the Alfred State Farm. The day featured our faculty and others demonstrating what makes us truly great, which is our mission to provide hands-on learning taught by faculty who are absolutely dedicated to our students.

Melissa and I were on site to thank everyone for their time and energy to make this event happen, which couldn’t have been possible without the mastermind behind this, Phil Schroeder (who is pictured here with one of our culinary arts baking students).

Phil was able to grow this program in one year by several hundred students from what was an already impressive turnout last year. This year, even more programs were added, which included departments from all three of our schools. Whether it was a chair of a department like Mark Bloxsom who was telling students about our business program, or current students showing potential new students the basics of masonry, the turnout was tremendous. My wife even had an opportunity to learn CPR from nursing faculty Ruthanne Ashworth and Jody Blakenship!

There are so many times I walk around campus, and I am just in awe at how excellent and truly unique Alfred State is. Where else can you go to a campus and in one day, have an opportunity to turn the throttle loose on an engine, interact with and learn about farm animals, solve a forensic riddle, steer a front loader, wire a panel, taste a culinary delight, survey your surroundings, and perform CPR on a manikin, all before grabbing lunch at the Feast Beast?

Only at Alfred State, and I am grateful for all of those who turned out to boast about their programs.