Ryan Goodman, also known online as “The Beef Runner,” and Jen Sorenson, former president of the National Pork Producers Council, will mentor 2023 College Aggies Online (CAO) participants as they compete for scholarship awards and build resume experience. The 2023 program kicks off on September 11. Registration is now open for undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students studying in the U.S., as well as collegiate clubs and classes. Last year, nearly $20,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded to participants. Sign up for this year’s competition here: https://animalagalliance.org/initiatives/college-aggies-online/.
Reflecting on the 2022 competition, Morgan Elia, student at California Polytechnic State University and second place individual, said, “I thoroughly enjoyed every week of the competition, and I feel like I walked away with a lot of experience and knowledge. I’m definitely glad I participated. I have had numerous friends and family tell me they learned a lot from my posts and thought it was really cool I was spreading that kind of knowledge.”
CAO is an initiative of the Animal Agriculture Alliance connecting college students from across the country who are passionate about sharing positive, factual information about agriculture. Participants receive nine interactive and educational weeks of content to help them become confident and effective communicators for agriculture with guidance from farmer and industry mentors. Goodman will support students as they are challenged to write and publish a blog post, and Sorenson will share her tips for engaging online about pork and pig farming.
Goodman works to bridge the gap between cattle farmers and ranchers in his role as director of communications and community engagement at Certified Angus Beef. He engages the brand’s network of fans to grow its global presence and helps make topics like cattle care and sustainability easier to discuss and understand. He has worked in the beef community with family farmers and cow-calf, stocker, and feeder farms, and as a freelance writer for agriculture publications. Before joining the brand in 2022, he served as director of grassroots advocacy and spokesperson development for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Goodman has been a longtime leader in agriculture advocacy as an early adopter of social media and blogging, reaching global audiences through his writing and digital content.
Sorenson grew up on a pig farm in southeastern Iowa and has always had a passion for telling the story of agriculture. After receiving degrees in animal science and journalism from Iowa State University, she worked in several communications departments, including at the Iowa Pork Producers Association, Christensen Farms, and McCormick Company. She is now Iowa Select Farms’ director of communications. Sorenson has been with Iowa Select Farms for ten years and is responsible for all facets of internal and external communications, media relations, public relations and industry outreach. She is the immediate past president of the National Pork Producers Council.
Goodman and Sorenson will help the Alliance in selecting weekly scholarship winners. The top participants at the conclusion of the program will be invited to attend the Alliance’s 2024 Stakeholders Summit, set for May 8-9 in Kansas City, Missouri, for national recognition. Students interested in networking with industry professionals and learning from successful agriculture influencers while strengthening their communication skills are invited to sign up today at https://animalagalliance.org/initiatives/college-aggies-online-sign-up/.
