Alumni Success Stories
Jessica Wesson
Jessica Wesson, a two-time AECT graduate, is the communications manager for the U of A Department of Poultry Science and the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science.
Wesson’s primary duties involve writing press releases, event planning, media coverage, website management and design, and co-advising the Poultry Science Club.
Wesson’s interest in agriculture grew from her high school FFA chapter, and she knew from a young age that agriculture was her passion. She began by learning about the value of communicating agriculture to the public and ensuring people understand the industry by actively serving as the reporter for Searcy FFA.
“I just really love the idea of telling the story of agriculture, whatever that looks like,” Wesson said. “If it's telling a farmer’s story or the story of students majoring in agriculture. My two passions are agriculture and communication.”
Wesson graduated in 2020 with a double major in agricultural leadership and agricultural communications, and she completed a master's degree focusing on agricultural communications in 2022.
Looking back on her experience at AECT, Wesson highlighted how the AECT faculty assisted her in preparing for a career in agricultural communications.
“They really care about you as a person outside of your academic success,” Wesson said. “They want you to succeed in the classroom, but they also care about your life outside of the classroom. I always felt like a person in AECT, not just a face.”
Wesson completed several internships during her college days, including working as a communication specialist at the AECT Experiential and Learning Lab in the summer of 2019. She started as a communications specialist in October 2017, and she stayed there throughout the rest of undergraduate. When Wesson became a graduate student in AECT, she served as the graduate coordinator for the ELL.
She also interned with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service Communications Department, the National FFA Convention Media Room, the American Angus Association, the Arkansas FFA State Convention Media Room, and Certified Angus Beef.
“I think that my internships really helped me narrow down what I did and did not want to do for the rest of my life,” Wesson said. “When you complete an internship, you give yourself the chance to experience what daily life would be like in that career. These experiences are some of the most valuable moments in my college career.”
Wesson further mentioned that capstone classes were a big part of her journey that helped her decide that a career in agricultural communications was best for her.
“Capstone courses give you hands-on learning that is priceless,” Wesson said. “I learned how to deal with real world problems and clients that weren’t necessarily easy to work for. The AECT department’s coursework is designed to prepare you to face challenges in the workplace.”
Wesson discovered the value in her decision to pursue graduate education when it increased her passion for student development, which led to her decision to work on campus for her first job out of college.
“I volunteered as a teaching assistant for Dr. Cox, Dr. Miller, Dr. Rucker, and Mr. Estes, while I completed my master’s degree,” Wesson said. “Being in the classroom and working with students after class became a new life goal for me. I didn’t realize I was so much in love with college student development, and I enjoyed every minute of that part of my graduate education.”
As for advice, Wesson said she thinks students should grab onto every opportunity that comes their way.
“The three biggest things I would tell a current AECT student to do is to intern, study abroad at least once, and make as many connections as possible,” Wesson said. “Now that I am out in the field working, those are the experiences I am most grateful for and would do again.”
Jeffery Marley
AECT alumnus, Jeffery Marley, graduated with a concentration in Ag Systems and Technology Management, with minors in Animal Science and Agribusiness.
During Marley’s time in college, Dr. Don Johnson was a great mentor. Johnson advised with course scheduling, class work, internships, and career opportunities.
“AECT prepared me by equipping me with professional skills to communicate effectively in the workforce, lead people well by analyzation of personality traits, and supplied me with a broad range of knowledge related to ag systems to get started within the work force,” Marley said.
After graduating in the Spring of 2021, Marley began working at Thomas Angus Ranch in Baker City, Oregon. After a year on the seed stock ranch, Marley moved back to his family’s farm in Elkins, Arkansas.
Marley now works alongside his family growing chickens for Tyson and managing a commercial cow-calf operation. Most recently, they have opened Plentywoods Venue on their farm, where they will host weddings and other events beginning in the Fall of 2023.
Dana Stewart
Dana Stewart’s experiences as a Bumper’s college student influence her today as a cattle rancher and agricultural advocate. Dana graduated from the U of A in 2005 with a degree in agricultural communications.
During college, she interned at the American Gelbvieh Association for an internship that was required by her degree plan. Upon graduating, she accepted a position at the American Gelbvieh Association in Denver, Colorado. Dana enjoyed working as the Director of Member Programs, but after one year decided to move back to her family farm and continued working remotely for seven years. Dana is the 6th generation to live and work on her family’s cattle farm in White County, Arkansas, where they have raised commercial cows as well as Hereford, Gelbvieh, and Balancer cattle.
“I’m really passionate about providing the best care that I can for our cattle,” stated Dana.
During her time in college, Dana became involved in the Collegiate Farm Bureau and competed in the state and national discussion meets. Dana later re-engaged with the organization, which she had first been part of as a college student. Dana became involved in the Arkansas Young Farmers and Ranchers and has served on the county and state Women’s Leadership Committee and is currently serving her third year as county board president.
Dana is an avid advocate for the agricultural industry. She prioritizes sharing the stories of the farm with her social media followers, but she also intentionally advocates in other ways, such as focusing on policy issues, sharing a recipe, or talking about her farm with friends at church.
Dana has many responsibilities as a mom, wife, community leader, cattle rancher, and agricultural communicator.
“It’s important to first remember that agriculture doesn’t look like it did a few generations ago. For our industry to continue to thrive and survive, we need good mentors. We need farmers and ranchers that are willing to mentor the next generation and teach those lessons that I am fortunate to have because of our farm’s legacy,” said Dana.
“At the end of the day, I try to remember the example I am setting for my kids. So that they see that their mom is passionate about what I do and that I work hard to make sure our farm is sustainable.”
Ron Koch
Since obtaining his master’s degree in Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology at the U of A, Ron Koch has been working hard to educate the next generation of agriculturalists at his home chapter in Branch, AR.
Koch began working for County Line High School in 2011 and has not looked back. While in this position, Koch has mentored his students and led them to success through FFA by placing top three in 12 state Career and Leadership Development Events. Koch’s 2021 Agricultural Communications CDE team also placed 6th in the nation.
“The best part of being an agriculture teacher is helping students find their passion for ag and its many related fields, and then seeing so many of them develop that into a career,” Koch explained. Koch has become a better educator with the help of his mentor, Mr. Jim Wilcox. During the final semester of his undergraduate degree, Koch taught student under Wilcox.
“While student teaching, I learned a lot about the day-to-day operation of a classroom, lab, and an FFA chapter,” Koch said. “He also introduced me to numerous people across the state that have helped me develop countless relationships in the family of ag teachers in Arkansas.”
As he wraps up his thirteenth year of teaching, Koch will continue to strive for success within the County Line FFA Chapter by applying the knowledge he has learned in previous years from his mentors and his time in the AECT department.
“The faculty and course-work taught within AECT gave me the hands-on experience and confidence needed to not only deepen my knowledge of agricultural mechanics but also provide the proper methodology for teaching the content to my future students.”
Daniel Ezell
Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology alumni, Daniel Ezell, has been able to apply and expand his skills from his degree in agricultural systems and technology through his construction company, Southern Raised Construction.
Ezell’s company was founded in April of 2019 and primarily focuses on excavation and dirt work. After graduating in December of 2021, Ezell decided to stay in the area and run his company in Tontitown. Ezell owns and operates the company and handles any responsibilities from bidding for jobs to operating heavy equipment.
Southern Raised Construction is family oriented, as Ezell operates the business alongside his brother, Matthew Ezell, who is also an alumnus of the agricultural systems department.
“AECT helped me understand the aspects of running a business,” Ezell said. “They prioritized growing my leadership skills, communications skills and trade skills, such as welding and electricity.”
Lauren Griffin
Lauren Griffin, an AECT alumna, is now the marketing coordinator for Greenway Equipment, a commercial and industrial equipment supplier for Arkansas and southeast Missouri.
“I’m lucky to have a career out of college that I really enjoy and love,” said Griffin. “I feel like I’ve found my place.”
Griffin graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2019 with a bachelors in agricultural communications and a minor in agricultural leadership. Directly after college, she worked for an advertising agency in Little Rock, and Greenway was one of their clients. Griffin began working for Greenway in December 2020.
Griffin’s primary duties at Greenway include managing digital advertisements and the company website, working closely with advertising agencies to track budgets, supporting marketing teams and data mining.
“My schedule changes every day depending on where I’m at,” Griffin said. “I’m always busy and doing something.”
Griffin said that trying to constantly optimize and learn new things is one of the most challenging aspects of her career. Luckily, however, she said she has a great team to work with.
“My favorite part about my job is the people I work with and being connected and close to agriculture,” Griffin said. “I meet all kinds of people all the time.”
One of the highlights that Griffin mentioned during her time with Greenway included a Jason Aldean concert to support food drives around Arkansas.
“There are lots of opportunities to give back to the community,” Griffin said. “My job really aligns with my values.”
Griffin said that her leadership degree helped her prepare for her career. Knowing how different people’s personalities work helped her predict how they’re going to think about certain things. Griffin also said that her graphic design class was very beneficial.
Griffin’s advice for current students pursuing a career in advertising is to intern, take advantage of free resources, get as many certifications as you can and to know how to communicate.
“If you want to do advertising itself, it’s a completely different ball game. I knew how to communicate, learn, and be flexible,” Griffin said. “I was able to get several promotions during the year and a half.”
Brett Crumley
Few things get Arkansans as excited as seeing the Razorbacks take the field during football season. Much like “calling the hogs,” watching the Razorback football team enter the field by running through the “A” is a tradition that has been around for decades. However, one former AECT alumni is using his expertise of gases to boost the already renowned pageantry of Arkansas football.
Brett Crumley, an AECT graduate from the class of 2005, spends gamedays at the Hog Pen gates in the north end zone. This is where Crumley releases the smoke that the players run through as they make their entrance onto the field. As a lifelong Razorback fan, Crumley is always excited to be a part of the gameday festivities that take place on the field.
Although Crumley, who is an account manager for Airgas USA, views the opportunity to be on the field as simply a part of his job, the experience still triggers an adrenaline rush and an opportunity to stamp his footprint on the gameday atmosphere.
“I’m down in the mix, in the heat of it all,” Crumley said. “We get to be on the field and do our thing, and it’s crazy how much hype there is down there.” Crumley has been working for Airgas USA for 14 years. He credits his experience in AECT with helping him get to where he is today. Crumley said he enjoyed the close, family-like atmosphere of AECT and the close relationships he formed with students and teachers during his college career.
“I thought it was impactful to grow those relationships,” Crumley said. “The welcoming atmosphere was the most important part of my time in college.”
Not only did Crumley leave AECT with great relationships, but he also credits the knowledge he gained from AECT classes to his success with Airgas. He personally built the pipe system used to release the smoke, which is actually a gas, used during the football team’s entrance. Through the years, Crumley has fine-tuned the amount of smoke released to make the entrance just right for the enjoyment of Razorback fans. Regarding his job with Airgas, Crumley said the knowledge he gained in college helped sync everything together for him.
“Of course, some of that came from traits that I gained from the AECT program,” he said. “It helped me understand mechanical piping and mechanical processes.”
Airgas and Razorback athletics are in their sixth year of partnership. The company now supplies smoke for the entrance of men’s and women’s basketball games as well. Expanding on their partnership with Arkansas Athletics, Airgas now also constructs smoke entrances for athletic programs across the country, including the Texas Longhorns football team.
With the arrival of each fall, Arkansas Razorback fans begin the anticipation of a new athletic season. For Crumley, the experience of being both a fan and a professional on gamedays is special. By using the traits acquired during his college career and a life of “calling the hogs,” Crumley experiences gamedays like no fan ever before has.
Kylee Sigmon
Kylee Sigmon, a 2019 AECT alum, has recently started her career at Tyson Foods. Sigmon’s mother and father both are employed at Tyson; therefore, it only seemed fitting she carried on the tradition. Sigmon’s official title is Associate Manager BU Innovation-National Accounts & Convenience-Stores.
“As a project manager for Poultry Innovation for National Accounts (Burger King, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, etc.) and LC Convenience Stores (Casey’s, 7-Eleven, etc.), my job is twofold. My team works reactively daily to respond to customer driven requests,” said Sigmon.
Sigmon takes the product from an idea to reality. Her team helps guide the cross functional teams through development until the product is ready to be commercialized and scaled up for manufacturing. Though Sigmon is relatively young to be in such a position at Tyson, she handles her responsibilities well.
“I am constantly working with an array of people that range anywhere from 5-25 years older than me. Luckily, this has never been a problem. I am not naive to the fact that the majority of people within the company have much more experience than I do,” said Sigmon.
Sigmon takes every opportunity she can to learn from others. She considers it an honor to be in contact with older people all day, because she is able to learn from their personal experiences. However, sometimes she feels intimidated to speak up and share her opinion whenever she feels it is relevant, she said.
“My favorite part of my job is that no day is like another. One day I will be really focused on project management and another day I will be busy scanning our research/insights databases to pull data to support a new product concept,” said Sigmon.
Being able to choose different tasks each day keeps her alert. Sigmon is always looking for improvements to be made, which is what makes her job so unique.
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to let my pride go and ask questions whenever I am uncertain. I would rather ask a million questions and execute a task properly than assume that I will figure it out and then have to rework the task to correct errors,” said Sigmon.
Jennifer Cook
With a grandfather who worked as a state FFA advisor, Jennifer Cook was no stranger to the world of FFA. Her involvement began in Lake City, Arkansas where she attended Riverside High School. After competing in parliamentary procedure and prepared public speaking competitions, horticulture judging, and showing pigs, Cook had made a name for herself among the Arkansas FFA members.
In 1987, Cook was elected as the State FFA President. This was a monumental year for Cook and Arkansas FFA. She was the first female to be elected into this position.
After graduating from the University of Arkansas with a degree in Agricultural Education in 1992, Cook took multiple career paths within the agricultural world. She worked as an agricultural teacher and managed contract hog farms for Cargill Pork. She and her husband have a small cow/calf operation of Hereford cattle in Greenbriar, Arkansas. Over the years, Cook continued to be involved with FFA as a judge, convention speaker and attendee. She said she “never really went away from being somewhat connected.”
Early in 2019, Cook was asked if she had interest in a position in development for the Arkansas FFA Foundation. Although not an expert in development work, Cook knew she had the personal FFA experience that she could share with potential donors.
“If you want someone who can talk about how FFA can change kids' lives and prepare them for career success, I’m your gal,” said Cook.
Cook officially took on the position of Arkansas FFA Foundation Director in June of 2019. In the last few months, Cook has evaluated the monetary situation, set goals, and started working toward how she can impact Arkansas FFA.
“I feel really passionate about giving these companies and investors what they want. They want access to FFA members because these are kids who know how to set goals (and) understand work ethic. They can follow directions, and that is a leadership skill.”
“Basically, anyone that likes to eat,” is impacted by agriculture, making them potential supporters of Arkansas FFA. Cook said she is “indebted” to the Arkansas FFA Association.
Alyssa Pitts
Alyssa Pitts, founder of Healing by Horseback, uses the skills she gained during her bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education, Communication and Technology, with a concentration in agricultural communications, even as a speech pathologist.
Pitts had not even considered college until her local Lincoln FFA teacher, Kevin Barenburg, suggested the poultry science department at the University of Arkansas. After growing up on her family poultry operation and poultry judging FFA experience, she pursued a poultry science major. However, when she found out she could pair communication and agriculture, Pitts switched to an agricultural communications major. Toward the end of her bachelor’s program, a friend introduced her to speech pathology. This added a medical side to her communications interests.
After graduating with her bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education, Communication and Technology with a concentration in agricultural communications from the University of Arkansas in 2011, she graduated with a master’s degree in Speech Pathology from Northeastern State University in 2014.
Although a unique transition from poultry science to agricultural communications to speech pathology, each segment of her education played a key role in her career path Pitts said. After graduation, she worked as a speech pathologist at outpatient pediatric clinics and in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
“While working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit assisting preterm infants in the progression of feeding, I realized my true passion was giving people ‘ordinary’ experiences that were extraordinary to their current life scenarios. These were things people take for granted each day,” Pitts said.
Pitts said she loved hearing the stories from parents and the impact of the stories on her career and life were pronounced.
“Parents shared stories with me that brought them to tears as they shared how their child called her ‘mom’ for the first time at the age of 3, how their child diagnosed with Autism actually looked at them with intent instead of a lost gaze, and how they truly enjoyed their family vacation for the first time because their child could tolerate the sensory environment around them without breaking down and crying for the entirety of the trip,” Pitts said. “The impact of these stories ignited my passion to somehow create even more memorable experiences for kids and their families through therapy.”
Growing up around horses, hippotherapy was a natural transition for Pitts. Hippotherapy is the use of horse movement and the environment as a treatment tool in speech, physical or occupational therapy sessions.
“Creating a hippotherapy program to provide people with these experiences was my new goal,” Pitts said. “It wasn’t easy, but as more parents told me their stories, or as I watched a child’s demeanor and skills change, that fueled my passion to continue.”
Pitts started her own outpatient pediatric therapy clinic to bring patients to the new non-profit needed to operate the hippotherapy program. This allowed the skills she gained as an agricultural communications major to shine.
“Graphic design, marketing, writing, and effectively communicating to local doctors’ offices were the most essential beginning steps to ensuring my projects would get off the ground,” Pitts said.
Pitts founded Healing by Horseback in 2018 to provide a facility and resources for children with disabilities to receive hippotherapy services. The outpatient clinic grew from Pitts being the only therapist to 13 therapists, and the hippotherapy program grew too.
“Fast forward to today, Siloam Springs Pediatric Therapy and Healing by Horseback are a perfect pair,” Pitts said. “We are now able to select patients from our clinic that would most benefit from hippotherapy or local physicians refer them to us for this specific treatment.”
Healing by Horseback serves as a partner to the outpatient clinic as therapists can treat their patients in the typical clinic setting once a week and at the barn once a week. Pitts said clients are able to have unique experiences while still working towards their therapy goals in a dynamic environment.
“For many parents who come to our barn, you can observe their sincere joy to watch their child participate in such an activity as riding a horse,” Pitts said. “Many, if not most, of our patients are not physically or cognitively able to engage in what is considered ‘typical’ childhood. “What an awesome thing it is to witness this same child blossom while riding a horse alongside their therapy team.”
The journey that began as an FFA member not considering college ended with her own business that helps create a place for people to grow.
“Where life has brought me today, and the career I have been blessed with, is a culmination of 13 years of education, networking, perseverance, and life experiences. Keeping the true intentions at heart, I believe, is what has allowed this passion to grow and create such a welcoming environment at Healing by Horseback,” Pitts said.
Kenley Bramall
There is a time that all students must face when they’ve completed their educational journey: entering the workforce. Some dread it, but there are those few who stride confidently into the next chapter.
Kenley Bramall credits her time in the AECT department with preparing her for her new career position with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Bramall graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2020 with degrees in Agricultural Business and Agricultural Communications. Following her graduation, Bramall said she was eager to jump into a new challenge and put her skills to the test.
“I guess you could say the job found me,” Bramall said. “I spent a lot of my time as a student going out of my way to network with lots of people.”
As a farm loan program technician, Bramall covers a wide range of responsibilities in her daily tasks. From something as basic as customer service, to more complex challenges such as loan servicing, Bramall said she has found a great fit for her passions and expertise.
“Although my job is more focused in business, the skills I learned through my AECT classes apply to so many aspects of my job,” Bramall said. “From basic communications skills, to preparing memos for the state office, I have experience in everything.”
Working with the USDA is an accomplishment for any student who is passionate about agriculture. Bramall said it was always a goal to work within the organization and urges other students to recognize that they can too.
“I would encourage other students to build their networks and be involved both in and outside the classroom,” Bramall said. “You never know what opportunities those networks could create.”
Bramall is one of those special few who not only prepared to stride into her future…but dove in headfirst.