At ABAC, professors have come from all over to find the right fit to teach and engage with students. Some go to farther lengths, and some find their place near home.
A California native who has traveled far and is now a teacher at ABAC; Dr. Sharon Wagner is up to her third year as an assistant professor. She got her education at the (UCSD) University of California, San Diego. Before she joined ABAC, Wagner worked as a graduate instructor at Texas A&M and did some freelance.
ABAC for a relatively small college, with an Ag Comm program fit well with Wagners’ interest of entering the Ag Comm field. She said “Not every college has the program. When I saw the job posting through a professional association I belong to, I asked some colleagues if it would be a good fit for me. When I interviewed, I really liked the atmosphere, and the friendly and relaxed vibe.”
Due to its small size, she is able to engage with students more. She said, “It’s so small, I can really get to know students as people.” This is something that professors get a chance to experience and appreciate when they come to ABAC.
She teaches four classes each long semester, and one to two in the summer. The classes Wagner teaches are: Writing, Graphic Design, Issues/Advocacy, Event Planning, and Crisis Communication. Wagner is hoping to add an Intro to Research class next year. In addition to that, she also does research, and co-advises 2 student organizations which are Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) and Collegiate 4-H.
Wagner has been through a lot to get to where she is, her motive is to guide others thought their struggle. She looks to give people something she didn’t have much of, as she was asked what her motivation is. “A desire to give back. I found it hard to find mentors. I don’t want my advisees/students to struggle like I did. I want my students to get jobs that make them happy and succeed at them.”
Outside of the classroom, Wagner likes to do various things. Including reading fiction in the evenings, playing with her service dog Ash, and watching the Texas A&M Aggies play football. She also has some long-term goals for herself, but she’s made a lot of progress with her short-term goals. She said, “Currently I’m working toward cruising on every ship on the Royal Caribbean. I’ve already completed most of my other short-term goals. I guess it’s time to set some new ones.”
Throughout this journey, some advice that Wagner would give to her younger self would be something that came from trial and error. As she said, “It’s OK to change your mind. Take chances and you’ll end up where you need to be.”
Life is an adventure of rollercoasters, and you have to figure out which one to ride. Wagner has figured out her destination from that ride, as the only thing she said she would change would be. “I would eliminate the gnats. And chocolate would make you skinny.”