A Journey of Succ
Ferguson College of Agriculture names the 2019-20 Outstanding Senior
he Louis and Betty Gardner Outstanding Senior award is presented to students who are engaged, involved and academically sound. This year’s Outstanding Senior in the Ferguson College of Agriculture — Mckenzie Carvalho — is no different, said Dwayne Cartmell, an agricultural communications professor and Carvalho’s academic adviser. Carvalho, an agribusiness and agricultural communications senior, grew up in Maxwell, a small town in northern California. She was involved in multiple activities, including FFA, softball, volleyball and cheerleading. “In FFA, I showed swine, competed in public speaking contests and horse judging, and held chapter, section, and region offices,” Carvalho said. “At FFA events, I visited with the Ferguson College of Agriculture Ambassador team and knew those were the people I wanted to be associated with.” Carvalho brought the leadership skills she learned from FFA to OSU where she has excelled academically for the past four years, Cartmell said. “Mckenzie is a tremendous student,” Cartmell said. “She’s highly engaged in activities of all levels of the 68 | COWBOY JOURNAL
college, the university and our discipline in agriculture as a whole.” Carvalho served in multiple capacities throughout her time at OSU. She was involved in Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Encounter, Oklahoma AgCredit Student Board of Directors, Alpha Zeta Honor Society, Ferguson College of Agriculture Ambassadors, Student Alumni Board and the college’s Student Council. She also has traveled with students and faculty from the college on four study-abroad trips. “Few words can capture the feeling of touring Auschwitz, photographing Costa Rica’s wildlife and landscapes, jumping off a bridge in New Zealand, and climbing the Great Wall of China,” Carvalho said. “My time at OSU has been filled with meeting people and participating in many activities, which motivated me to focus on mentoring international students. “I had such a positive start at OSU and wanted to ensure students coming here from abroad were also able to experience this,” Carvalho added. Cartmell said he had the opportunity to lead Carvalho on a study-abroad photography trip to Costa Rica. “Her interest in international
agriculture and international involvement was apparent by the way she interacted with new people in different countries,” Cartmell said. “But above all, her interest in communications was evident. “It was a really cool experience being able to witness that drive in a student during an international study,” he said. Although Carvalho is an out-ofstate student, she still has a passion for learning about the needs of rural Oklahoma, she said. Traveling on study-abroad trips as well as around Oklahoma have helped her challenge herself while serving others, she added. “Traveling the world on agricultural study-abroad trips and around the state with the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Encounter opened my eyes to global agriculture, the importance of diverse cultures and the needs of rural Oklahoma,” Carvalho said. “These experiences expanded my perspective on inclusiveness and set me on a career path of developing rural communities. Rob Terry, head of the OSU Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership, met Carvalho through a study-abroad trip
