This past winter break, I had the experience of a lifetime as an ACES student studying abroad in Cape Town, South Africa. The study tour was full of service learning at an agricultural work site, tourism, and immersing ourselves into the culture. Our volunteer site was at a community garden. It is a township effort where certain members are allotted to individual plots where they can produce sustainable, organic foods. Locals are encouraged to get involved to feed their families and for expansion purposes.

Hey Theresa,

Hope all is well over there on the farm!  Everything is still pretty awesome except I have a little speed bump in Madrid two weekends ago.

Jemand hat miene handy und Studierendenausweis gestohlen im Madrid.

University of Illinois students have the unique opportunity to participate in the merging of science and research with industry through internships at UI Research Park.  In two areas of our department:  Consumer Economics/Financial Planning as well as Agribusiness, ACE students get involved as interns working for companies such as State Farm in researching use of insurance and financial products by their organization.  A new venture in agribusiness, led by ACE alum Lucas Frye, is making strides bringing a San Francisco business to the Midwest.

This year how ACE stood out to me was the career advice and opportunities they were able to offer me. I came into this year not sure what I was going to do after graduation; I wasn’t even sure which field I wanted to go into. Luckily, I was able to find some help within ACES, especially the ACE 341 career opportunities class. This class opened my eyes to what I could do with my degree and how others have used it.  It was helpful to see the different paths and industries that other graduates were able to get into with a CEF degree.

As you have heard from many of my fellow bloggers, ACE is a wonderful major.  The opportunities seem endless and getting an Agricultural & Consumer Economics degree at the University of Illinois will set you apart and put you on a path towards success.  

Guten Tag Theresa!

Ich bin haben sehr gut Zeit.

The ACE department within the College of ACES presents many opportunities to their students year in and year out. Last year, I was fortunate enough enroll in a class that compared agricultural practices and policies in the Midwest and the West Coast. The class, taught by Dr. Scholl and Jessa Barnard, was capped off with a trip to California over spring break that enabled us to experience agriculture there first-hand.

Molweni, ninjani? That translates to “Hello, how are you?” in the Xhosa language. This past winter break, I had the opportunity to travel abroad through the College of ACES to Cape Town, South Africa for three weeks. I found out I was accepted into the program in April of last spring semester, and I did not know how I was going to wait eight months until the experience of a lifetime. 

The College of ACES has so many opportunities for its students. What makes our campus so special is the fact that they provide unique opportunities that you won’t be able to find at many other campuses! Some of these opportunities are once in a lifetime experiences! For example, last semester, United States Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, came to campus and spoke about international food security. I was fortunate enough to get to be part of a group of College of ACES’ students that met with him after his lecture to discuss different issues in agriculture.

Coming to the University of Illinois from my small town of 1,700 people was an adjustment. I knew right away I would fit in here when I became a part of the ACES Family. The close, tight-knit feel of the college reminded me of home. I found my niche in the ACE Department, and I have enjoyed getting involved in various ACE and ACES organizations during my time here. As I begin the second semester of my junior year, I reflect on the past years and my involvement in student organizations.