Last spring, I had the chance to be part of a pretty cool project.

In my undergraduate capstone class, I helped lay the foundation for a program geared toward high school FFA members preparing to teach agricultural curriculum to elementary students.

Later known as “Missouri Movers,” this program was designed to provide mentorship opportunities through partnering FFA members with college juniors and seniors earning their degrees and teaching certifications in agricultural education. In addition to increasing the quality of content being presented to students, the ultimate goal of the program was ensuring all individuals entered the classroom feeling confident, competent and connected.

In reflection, it’s truly incredible to see something initially created on paper become a reality. While it may have started as a class assignment, it quickly blossomed into something much more impactful and, in the process, provided me with unique insight on the value of mentorship in agriculture.

Mentee’s perspective

Throughout my life, I’ve been fortunate to cross paths with some special people. Often referred to as mentors and role models, these individuals are typically a little older and a lot wiser than me.

Whether I was following in my older brother’s footsteps, showing cattle for the first time at my county fair, or moving more than 400 miles away and starting my first semester of graduate school, these people willingly took me under their wings and offered to show me “the ropes.” In sharing their experiences and advice, they’ve also enabled me to find and pursue my own interests, strengths and passions.

As I’ve become more involved on my college campus, within my community and within the industry, I’ve found myself in a unique position. While I’ve grown accustomed to being the mentee, growing up means I now have chances to serve as a mentor, too.

Embrace mentor role

Within agriculture, we often believe it is our responsibility to honor and respect those who came before us while simultaneously paving the path and giving back to future generations. Depending on the circumstances we find ourselves in, we should all seize opportunities to be both the mentee and mentor. This starts with identifying which side of the equation we fall on, then responding accordingly.

If you find someone you can learn from, I encourage you to introduce yourself, seek out his or her guidance and start the process of building a relationship. Likewise, if you realize you’re the one in the room with the most knowledge or experience, don’t hesitate to share it with those who could greatly benefit from receiving your insight — even if they don’t reach out and ask you for it first.

At the end of the day, I believe we all have something to learn from one another. Never underestimate the impact you could have on someone else because you just might change his or her life or perspective. If you ask me, that’s a special position to find yourself in.

Quinlan graduated from the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources with a degree in agriculture education, communications and leadership. She is pursuing her master’s degree at Oklahoma State University. Contact her at [email protected].