Area high school students visit Southeast Community College Ag Programs

BEATRICE – Southeast Community College in Beatrice was holding their Agriculture Program Day Friday, drawing over 140 high school students from some 20 area schools.

"The purpose of this day is to bring students to our campus to expose them to different career opportunities in the agriculture industry, expose them to our programs. We're showcasing all of our agriculture programs as well as our diesel ag and our John Deere Technology program from the Milford Campus."

SCC Admissions Administrative Director Kat Kreikemeier says the day gives students chance to take a look at the numerous career options in agriculture, and at new facilities…including a former business campus building now used in the Ag program.  "It's a beautiful building. It's given the program a lot more flexibility and given students a really nice place to come and learn, and have space for engaged learning and hands-on learning activities."

On the horizon for SCC-Beatrice is a planned agriculture career facility and outdoor lab…which Kreikemeier says could help boost students coming to SCC to train for an agriculture career.

"One thing that SCC and the ag programs particularly pride themselves in, is the hands-on learning and that students are doing the work, living and learning and getting the chance to develop skills in a real-life manner. Ag Day showcases that. You can see our students out there running the stations and they're teaching and learning right along the students that are on campus. It gives them an idea of what they can expect as a student here."   Modernization of campus facilities has been huge, and Kreikemeier says students deserve those types of facilities as they learn.

Southeast Community College Ag Business and Management Technology Instructor Annie Erichsen says technology sophistication has risen dramatically in agriculture.

"We do a lot of different things here at the college with technology, from precision planting to, as you can see, drones...and hear them in the background. We're trying to give students tools in their tool box to help them to be successful and efficient when they go back home, or into the industry."

Erichsen says there are numerous options for agriculture students in farming or Ag Business…and the college emphasizes a combination of in-class learning and hands-on training. As for technology, one of the biggest advancements has been in yield assessment.

"Just being able to use the yield data that comes out of the fields and how to read it....and how to make decisions from that for the next year....just understanding that data and how to use that data."

Students attending Ag Day were able to work their way around different stations on campus, after a welcome held at the SCC Truman Center.