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Joanna Griffin-Craven is a senior Agriscience
and Environmental Systems major at the UGA Tifton campus.
She is a native of Nashville, Georgia, and the first student
ever selected to participate in the Georgia Agri-Leaders Forum,
a year-long program that includes all aspects of Georgia’s
agriculture industry and is designed to mold future leaders.
Expected
graduation: December 2004
Degree Objective: B.S.A. in Agriscience and
Environmental Systems
Other
degrees:
- A.A. (Political Science), Abraham Baldwin
Agricultural College
University highlights,
achievements and awards:
I am a member of the first cohort at the UGA-Tifton Campus.
I am also the UGA-Tifton Campus FFA President, and UGA-Tifton
Campus Ambassador. Additionally, I am the first student ever
selected as a member of the Georgia Agri-Leaders Forum.
Current employment:
I work at the UGA-Tifton Campus Assistant Dean's Office. I
assist the Coordinator of Academic Programs with student recruitment
events and serve as a liaison between the student body and
the administration. I also assist Dr. David Bridges, UGA-Tifton
Campus Assistant Dean, with various projects.
Additionally, I work at Co-Jo Farms, a small farm in Nashville,
Georgia that has remained in my family for over one hundred
years. We grow cotton, corn, peanuts, and tobacco. In 1999
we started growing “Red Wigglers.” In an effort
to become more diverse and sustainable, we installed fifty
earthworm composting beds that range in size and length to
take advantage of a niche market in south Georgia by meeting
the needs of local fishermen.
High School: Berrien High School
Hometown: Nashville, Georgia
I choose to attend UGA because…
…UGA is a land grant institution with a rich history
in agriculture. Many advancements in modern agriculture came
as a result of research conducted at UGA. I am proud to be
a student at the University and hope to continue learning
here on the Tifton campus.
When I have free time, I like…
…speaking to local high school students about the importance
of staying in school, setting goals, and leadership. The drop
out rate in rural Georgia is very high, and I feel that I
make a difference by talking to one student at a time.
The craziest thing I've done is…
…almost accidentally ran over former President Jimmy
Carter in Plains, Georgia with my truck. He was riding his
bicycle through town, and we were there to visit his boyhood
home. I did not see the President on his bicycle until it
was almost too late. Luckily the Secret Service detail stepped
in to save the day.
My favorite place to study is…
…usually I find myself studying in the middle of a field
on a grain combine as I wait for another grain wagon. This
would probably not be the ideal place to study but when you
live and work on a family farm, you do what you have to do.
If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would
love to share it with…
…my dad. As a child, my dad worked four different jobs
so that after graduating high school I would be able to attend
the college of my choice. He is a true believer that the successes
of tomorrow depend upon the actions of today. It would be
nice to be able to spend an afternoon with my dad to catch
up on all the times I missed as a child.
If money was not a consideration, I would love to…
…provide funding for various biotechnology research
projects in the developing world. The research projects would
be designed to promote disease, insect, and drought resistance
in various food products. This research would allow economic
growth and increase self-sustainability among the people of
the developing world.
After graduation, I plan to…
…work to promote Georgia agriculture through various
media sources. Not enough people realize that agriculture
is more than sows, cows, and plows, and I would like to increase
awareness about the important role that agriculture plays
in our economy and lives.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will
be…
…walking toward the Arches for the very first time.
I can still remember the feeling of pride in my heart. I stood
in front of the Arches as a young woman from rural South Georgia
who finally achieved a life-long dream of being a University
of Georgia student. |
