My name is Courtney Poffenberger and I am a senior in ACE with a concentration of Finance in Agribusiness, but this is not where I pictured myself at the beginning of college.  I came into the University of Illinois as an Education major and at that point in time I thought I had my whole life planned out.  I imagined graduating with a degree from the College of Education and then subsequently finding a job that I would have until retirement, but after my first semester, I knew that wasn’t the life I wanted.  I started to explore other options, but I had no idea there were so many possibilities offered on this campus.

I come from a farm background, and hearing about the College of ACES caught my attention.  After reading about the ACE major and the wide variety of classes that were offered, I knew that I could find something to meet my interests.  Through further research and thinking about the future, I knew that ACE was the place I wanted to be.  The transition went well with the help of the ACE advisors and staff and after my first semester in the major, I knew that I had made the right decision in transferring.  I enjoyed the classes and I especially liked hearing about the job opportunities that were available for after graduation.

Looking back, I would not have changed anything.  Transferring to ACE was one of the best things that I could have done in my college career.  From the helpful ACE staff, to the array of courses, anyone can prosper in ACE.  I would not have gotten through the process without the help of advisors and they are still helpful as I approach graduation and try to answer any questions that I may have.  The courses throughout ACE have also helped me decide the path I want to take after graduation.  I also know that I can take the information I have learned and use it in my future career and it helps when you are learning from some of the top professors in their field.  This major also offers a variety of clubs and organizations to try and help students get involved and network.  In my mind, I could not have made a better decision and I could not be more grateful for all of the experiences that I have been able to have while in ACE.

My name is Blake Larsen, and I am a junior in ACE with a concentration in Financial Planning. Going into college I had no idea what Financial Planning was, what I could do with it, and what courses I had to take to get my degree. The ACE department helped me figure this out from day one. One of the first classes that helped me was ACES 101, which helped me plan out a schedule for the next four years. By having this I was able to have a basic feel for what I would be taking over the next couple of years and when I should take them by. I then learned what Financial Planning was through classes such as ACE 100 and ACE 240. In ACE 240 I started learning a lot about personal investing, and I thought it was very useful for not only my career but my life as a whole because I can now make better investing choices. One of my most useful classes I have ever taken however, was ACE 398 my sophomore year. In this class professionals from the field came in and talked about what options I had with my degree. I learned a lot about myself in that class and discovered some of the things I like and some things I don’t like about Financial Planning. With all this help from my classes I now have a sense of direction of where my life could be heading.

“My name is Aaron Wall; I’m currently a Junior, majoring in Agricultural and Consumer Economics within the College of ACES. While I am still not exactly sure what I want to do with my major, I know that there will be plenty of post-graduation opportunities available to me.

I feel that one of the most appealing aspects about the College of ACES (and there are a ton!) is how much the faculty really cares about you, and prepares you for ‘the real world’. I have met in-person with my advisor, and she sends follow up emails to check on me throughout the year. With a ratio of 18 to 1 of students to professors in the classroom, you really get a personalized experience if you want it. It is a culture where even though there are 40,000 students on campus, you have a network of people who are willing to help you work to succeed.

Another great aspect about the College of ACES is that the classes are not only there to fulfill college credit. You are immersed into the field of your major, whether it be trips to other countries or (in my case), the opportunity to take ACE 398: Issues in Agribusiness Markets & Mgmt, where I can have a streamlined learning experience about how to stand out in the agribusiness field.

The College of ACES is a great place to learn and grow. With opportunities like the ACES Thanking Drive, ACES Career Fair, ACE Ambassadors, ACE Club, to name a few, there are plenty of opportunities to advance yourself personally, socially, and professionally. I am excited to see what the next year of school will bring!”

– Aaron Wall

By Kelly Fornoff, ACE Ambassador

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) fall conference in St. Louis, MO with two fellow ACES students. At the conference, we learned more about what is new in the agri-marketing industry. We also listened to several speakers, but in particular there were two keynote speakers who motivated us to be more successful in our future careers.

Several points that the two speakers made were:

• Set your own moon goals and work hard to achieve them.

Definition of a moon goal: A stretch; a difficult and transformational goal that you have set for yourself.

• Don’t wait for your ship to come in, swim out to meet it.
• Recognize that the future is not a place you are going, but a place you will create.

The faculty in the ACE Department push you to achieve your own “moon goals.” Through experiential learning and other opportunities in ACE, students are able to create their own futures while the faculty provide the resources that are needed to have a successful career. The best opportunities aren’t going to come knocking on your doorstep. You have to be willing to reach out to them and take advantage of the resources and opportunities that you are presented with.

Written by ACE Ambassador Erin Willson:

My name is Erin and I am a junior in ACE with a concentration in Financial Planning. Currently, I am not really sure what direction I want to take with financial planning. It seems like there are so many different options from financial advisor to broker to estate planning. Luckily, I have the opportunity to learn more about each one of those options thanks to ACE 398 (Contemporary Financial Planning). It is a course offered through the College of ACE that features a few different speakers each week in the financial planning field. Some have been more recent college graduates who are already successful in their career yet still able to offer advice and relate to those of us starting out. Other speakers have been in the business for thirty years, and they able to share their experiences and what they have learned over time. In the course we are also getting feedback on our resumes, tips for attending career fairs and hearing about potential networking opportunities that can help us down the line. So while I still have not narrowed down specifically what my future career will be, I have a much greater sense of my options, and I am slowly but surely exploring each one.

A Blog by ACE Ambassador Jaclyn Hendricks:

Although unemployment rates are troublesome to many soon to be college graduates, those who study agriculture are in for some relief. In a May 2013 study conducted by Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, those who studied agriculture have one of the lowest recent college graduate unemployment rates. Those who are experienced college graduates majoring in agriculture can expect even lower unemployment rates at around 3 percent. In Agriculture and Consumer Economics, soon to be graduates can rely on exposure to different concepts learned during their four years of undergrad to help secure a job upon receiving a degree.

http://www9.georgetown.edu/grad/gppi/hpi/cew/pdfs/HardTimes.2013.2.pdf