Student Introduction: Michael Fiorentino, M.S. Agricultural and Extension Education

Hi everyone, my name's Mike. I am currently in my second semester of the Agricultural and Extension Education Master of Science program, and I've got to say it's been quite an adventure transitioning into such a large university. I received my Bachelor of Technology degree in Animal Science last May from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Cobleskill, a small college in the middle-of-nowhere, New York.

I am a Long Island native (officially pronounced: lawn-guy-land), which is located in the southern portion of New York state. Although Long Island is well known for it's sandy beaches, fancy homes, and Billy Joel, it also has a deep agricultural history that has been long forgotten by many. I've always been considered the "non-traditional" agricultural student since I was not raised on a farm, and my parents were both in New York City.

I had my first taste of agriculture at the age of nine, when my parents enrolled me in 4-H after losing all hope of me ever grasping the concept of sports. My first 4-H project was a young Holstein heifer, who brought me to experience my first county fair and took me to The Great New York State Fair - otherwise known as one of the most competitive Holstein shows in the northeast (we lost). That didn't discourage me though, as the following spring I purchased my first registered dairy goat kid.

Many years later and with the encouragement of MANY great mentors, I decided to pursue a career in agriculture. Like every other freshman in an animal science program, I wanted to be a veterinarian - it only took me one semester of CHEM 111: Intro to Chemistry to decide that maybe that wasn't for me. I reflected on my past and thought about all the reasons I had come so far and came to a conclusion; someone took the time to invest in my future. That was my Ah-ha! moment when I finally decided where I wanted to be.

I was thrilled to meet others from many different disciplines during our first class session, and I look forward to working with each person this semester!