Written By: Aspen Hoover
Taylor Kennedy has completed her first semester at Tarleton State University working for the Department of Agricultural Education & Communication. She currently teaches five courses in the department with plans to take on more classes in the spring.
Her hope is to use the knowledge gained from her time as a student in the program, as well as the experiences she learned while working in the industry, to build how she teaches the classes.
She wants to focus on teaching students to leverage and use their personal brand and skill sets to feel confident entering the workforce. “I think the perspective I bring to this team is the ability to translate technical knowledge from our formal education to current practical application from my time in the industry. A deep sense of ‘how is this relevant’ and ‘how does this change the world’ is what defines Generation Z. I think being able to relate skills students are learning now to real-life scenarios is invaluable in getting them hired into careers. The thing about college is you should learn how to market, brand and advocate for yourself. And, that’s what I want to bring back with me to Tarleton,” said Kennedy.
Kennedy is a 2016 Tarleton State University graduate from Paradise, Texas. Kennedy majored in Agricultural Services and Development with an option in Agricultural Communications. She was involved on campus in various organizations including Sigma Alpha, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT), and The Department of Residence Life as a Residential Leader and Office Assistant, during her time in her undergraduate.
Kennedy obtained a master’s degree in agricultural communications from Oklahoma State University in 2018. She worked full time for Oklahoma State University’s College of Human Sciences as the social media communications specialist while in her masters program.
She then transitioned to the role of Digital Media Specialist for the Department of Communications and Agricultural Education at Kansas State University in 2019. Kennedy also served as an award-winning Sigma Alpha Professional Agricultural Sorority adviser for two years at Kansas State.
Kennedy has started to use her past experiences to help students for the future. She was involved with ACT at the national level as the national secretary/treasurer and then as national president. She has been using her prior knowledge with this organization to revitalize the ACT chapter at Tarleton. “We are building from the ground up in some ways because of the pandemic, we have 19 members, one junior advisor, a faculty treasurer and myself as faculty advisor. The new officer team has been elected and they are already making big plans for the future of the organization at a local and national level,” said Kennedy.
Kennedy plans to gain her doctoral degree in the future and continue her time at Tarleton State within the department of ag communications for many years to come.