A successful presentation, even with a broken foot

Author: Anna Mathis | Major: Agricultural Communication, Agricultural Leadership | Semester: Spring 2023

Hello! My name is Anna Mathis, an honors student in the Bumpers College double majoring in agricultural communications and agricultural leadership. I’m also minoring in global studies. My research took me halfway across the world to the villages of Apac and Amolotar in Northern Uganda where women are the primary family caretakers and agriculturalists. Uganda is an extremely impoverished country and women face additional barriers to information access due to systemic inequalities. My research is a creative campaign through the nonprofit Her Mighty Hands that equips women with technology and agriculture training videos to increase harvest and family income.

I presented at the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE) Conference in Guelph, Canada. I’d never been to Canada and the drive was beautiful; the tall pine trees, bright green grass, and storied architecture truly made the trip top tier. This trip was extremely helpful in my research as I’m finishing up my thesis. I heard about 15 research presentations on work that is tangential to my thesis—I feel like all the journals I’ve cited and read have come to life having heard these incredible researchers firsthand. I also feel like I gained a more holistic view of the work I do. The perspective of global work is important to get right to ensure communities are happy and healthy while you’re working there and long after.

Networking was a strong component of this conference, and I’m excited to have multiple leads to follow up on for graduate school. I met global leaders in rural and community development from Penn State, The Ohio State University, University of Florida, University of New Mexico, Virginia Tech, Makerere University in Uganda, and many more faculty and peers.

I enjoy presenting, and this conference was no different. Initially I was intimidated to be one of the few undergraduates presenting at an international conference—what did I have to say that people there didn’t already know? However, I learned that everyone’s voice matters in the global development field. The experiences I have matter, because I was representing the voice of thousands of women in Uganda who desperately need to be empowered.

The presentation feedback was extremely positive. I was nervous to be fielding tough questions, but each question was thoughtful, and attendees wanted to know more about the innovative pilot program model. At the end of the day, I was just proud to have been in the 62% of accepted oral presentations as an undergraduate student. I look forward to many more years of the conference to learn and grow as a young professional.

If I had to give a piece of advice, it would be to have confidence in your knowledge and abilities from writing the abstract to presenting, especially if you are peer editing a paper. All our work matters, and we should feel comfortable asking more of our peers to equally contribute to the writing or presenting process. Once at the conference, humbly consume information but let your voice and opinion be heard.  Such is the nature of learning; it’s a give and take in my opinion.

I look forward to serving the duration of my Board of Directors term with Her Mighty Hands and pursuing a graduate degree that will further launch me into this career space.