Ag Food Life

Stories of alumni success & professional development in the Bumpers College

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Do you think you would be good working with people? Maybe teaching, if not in a classroom how about helping with community development in an outreach-type of setting?

Let Sarah Beth Johnson introduce you to the world of county extension. She earned her master’s degree in agricultural and extension education from our Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology in 2013, and she’s now the county extension agent – 4-H for Lonoke County in Arkansas where she “educates youth and strives to train them to be the leaders of tomorrow.”

Johnson could also pursue teaching agriculture or family and consumer science in a school setting. A lot of what she does and enjoys relies on that education background. “I really enjoy working with youth and helping them succeed in areas they choose to make a priority. I also get to choose the programs I want to focus on, so I can combine my passion for agriculture with the teaching role my job requires.”

If you are in a position to help students make career decisions, extension offers three types of agents – in agriculture, 4-H, and family and consumer science. “Even within those three program areas, we have the freedom to choose what topics we want to work on,” said Johnson.

First-year graduates can expect to earn around $36,000 with a bachelor’s degree or $40,000 with a master’s degree, according to Johnson.

Maybe you’re not in NW Arkansas and you’re looking for online educational opportunities. If so, Johnson can be your inspiration. “I was the first person to graduate with my master’s degree who did it completely through distance education,” she said. “I was working full-time in Hot Springs while taking online classes from the U of A. The professors were really amazing. As long as they saw I was making an effort, they really worked with me. I remember my first semester being so stressed because our County Fair week was coming up and I didn’t know when I would have time to do my assignments. I sent my professors an email letting them know the situation, and they gave me my work a little early, and also a few extra days to finish it.”