University of Idaho Agricultural Education, Leadership, and Communications

  Julia Villagomez is a senior studying ASCL with a rich background in agriculture. Growing up on a small family ranch in Wendell with about 200 head of dairy calves and cattle, she’s had many experiences that explain her responsibility, independence, and determined work ethic. Among the most memorable include doing chores with her siblings, bottle feeding calves, going to the sale with her dad, and moving pipes in the alfalfa field. Villagomez has a lot of pride in her family ranch because it helped her grow and makes an income for her family.  Villagomez changed her major to ASCL in her sophomore year when her friend and mentor, Brenda Vega, introduced her to the program. She explained how she felt that there was more she could do with her life and passions with the degree. “After learning more about what ASCL was and what I could do with it, I decided that this major could help me grow and be able to give back to the community,” she stated. Villagomez has always enjoyed wor...

  Erica Wood was a Spring 2020 graduate from the department with a degree in agricultural education. After graduation, she was hired at Cascade Junior Senior High School to start a new agricultural education program. Her hard work and dedication to teaching agriculture is inspiring. Starting a program in the midst of COVID-19 has made it a challenging experience for Wood, but nothing that she can’t handle with the motivation of her resilient and adaptable students. “Students, parents, staff, and the community as a whole have shown nothing but support and excitement for the new program, and so I am confident that in a few years we truly are going to have something special here in this little mountain town,” Wood says.  Wood has found that one of the most important things to being a good teacher is building relationships with the students. She has loved getting to know each of her students and forming connections with them. As Wood sees it, building mutual trust and respect is t...

Sarah Swenson, who grew up in Chewelah and Newport, Washington, is the new Administrative Coordinator for the Agricultural and Extension Education Department here at the University of Idaho. Swenson graduated from Willamette University with a degree in Music Therapy, and then she spent some time working with elderly people in assisted living communities. She moved to Moscow four years ago with her husband of 18 years, Matt, and their two teenagers. She has been a stay-at-home mom, and her husband works as a professor in Mechanical Engineering here at the University of Idaho. Swenson has shared that she is excited to work with the people in this department and says, “Everyone has been very welcoming and it’s a great atmosphere to work in. I look forward to meeting more students.” We are also very excited to have her with us in the department! When asked about her background in agriculture, Swenson tells that she grew up in small towns which allowed her to see agriculture first-hand arou...

Liz Wilder graduated from the University of Idaho in December 2018 with a B.S. in agricultural science, communication, and leadership and a minor in agribusiness. Wilder has recently accepted a full-time position as Programs Director for the Idaho FFA Foundation. Before being appointed to this position, she worked for the Idaho FFA Foundation as an intern for three years during her undergraduate and continued with a part-time position as the Communications Director following graduation. Needless to say, Wilder has dedicated an exceptional amount of time and hard work to rise to her current position. Growing up in Pullman, WA, Wilder was immersed in agriculture. She joined her local 4-H club and began raising and showing lambs in 4th grade, which led her to many learning opportunities about the sheep industry and raising livestock, such as working at her sheep leader’s farm. She continued to expand her understanding of the agricultural industry after joining the Pullman FFA chapter. Wil...

Macy Hess is a junior studying agricultural science, communication, and leadership virtually through College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls. She chose this major because it’s offered at a distance and she could stay in her hometown while gaining a well-rounded agricultural degree. After graduation, Hess plans to pursue a master’s degree in animal nutrition. Her ultimate career goal is to become an animal nutritionist, specializing in ruminant nutrition, and she has plans to run a farm of her own.  Hess grew up on her family’s farm in Filer. This farming community and her family’s agricultural involvement struck her with a passion for agriculture. Hess began showing pigs in 4-H, then switched to FFA when she was old enough. She completed an academic research project on dairy nutrition in high school, which she says has directly impacted her career choice. Macy graduated high school as a junior with over 40 college credits and was able to start her college education early.  Hes...

Teaching in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is a main focus for our upcoming teachers who are now learning new ways of teaching and reaching students. Currently, education is full of unknowns, especially in agricultural education. The AEE department has six teacher candidates for Spring 2021, that will subsequently be entering their own classrooms in the Fall of 2021.  Our upcoming teachers have many things that they are excited and nervous about. Many of these students are excited about the challenge that comes with teaching during COVID-19 and new uses of technology. They are also excited to get in the classroom.  Candidate Kjersti Clawson says what she is excited about, “To work with students, apply everything I have learned in the past three years in the classroom, train students in CDE's, work with my hands, and be a teacher!” These teacher candidates are also nervous about the challenges of meeting expectations of students, the dependency of working with technology, a...

Dino Vinci graduated from the University of Idaho in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education and a minor in Animal Science. Following graduation, he worked for the West Ada School District as an agricultural educator and FFA Advisor. Here he taught animal science, welding, and small engine classes.  Vinci was recently hired as the Sheep Center Manager for the University of Idaho. Vinci’s passion for the sheep industry began in high school through FFA and ag classes, which led him to showing sheep as a member of the Meridian FFA Chapter. After discovering his passion for the industry, he started his own flock of club lambs that he was able to show and sell at the Reno Nugget All American Show and Sale. Dino has since liquidated his personal flock to focus on the UI Sheep Center. Dino Vinci says that the things he misses about his previous job is working with students every day and having an impact on their lives. Helping those who have no previous experience with a...