SDState - Agricultural Leadership, Education, Communication & Science

07/10/2026

Congratulations to our Spring 2026 ALECS graduates!🎓 We're so proud of you!
Welcome to the Jackrabbit Alumni Family! 🐰

07/06/2026

Meet our final study abroad highlight, LaKacee Lipp! She is a recent graduate in Agricultural Communication from Newcastle, Wyoming. As a transfer student, LaKacee got involved quickly on campus through Sigma Alpha, Little International, and Ag Communicators of Tomorrow. She now serves as the National Secretary/Treasurer for Ag Communicators of Tomorrow!

LaKacee chose the Australia trip for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn about wildlife and agriculture in a different part of the world. When asked about the best moment during her trip, she referenced the Great Barrier Reef and the Undara Lava Tubes. LaKacee also shared, "The most surprising place we visited was Skybury farms near Cairns. We learned about the intricacy of growing papaya and coffee plants. I also enjoyed learning about the other types of fruit they are experimenting with on the farm like bananas and avocados."

Her advice to current or future students? "Be comfortable being uncomfortable. College is all about trying new things and becoming involved on campus. Make the most of your four years and graduate knowing you took advantage of every opportunity."

07/01/2026

🎉Congratulations to all the ALECS students named to the Spring 2026 Dean's List. You earned this honor by completing 12+ credits with a GPA of 3.5 or higher! 🙌🐰Well done! See the complete Dean's List at https://bit.ly/4biERLQ.

06/28/2026

Meet Andrea Phillips! Andrea participated in the Vietnam study abroad trip this spring with her twin sister Allison. She is majoring in Ag Communication with a minor in Animal Science.

Andrea was excited when she first heard of the Vietnam trip because she would get to see how agriculture looked in a different part of the world. When asked about a moment on the trip that changed her perspective, Andrea said, "One day at the beginning of our trip, we hiked down the mountains in Sapa and got to plant rice with local farmers... It was a great experience learning about how and why the farmers plant the way they do – the paddies are too small for any mechanized equipment, so they do all the tilling and planting by hand."

Andrea also left Vietnam with great memories of seeing a wet market, visiting the Vietnam National University of Agriculture, and learning more about Vietnamese culture. Her advice to students, "Just do the study abroad!"

06/22/2026

At the 2026 Ag Week Banquet held last April, several ALECS students and organizations were recognized for their outstanding achievements and contributions throughout the academic year. Cortney Copeland, Emma Bilka, and the Ag Communicators of Tomorrow Club were honored for their accomplishments throughout the year. Additionally, Kylie Mockler was recognized as the newly selected CAFES Advocate for the 2026–2027 academic year.

Congratulations to all ALECS honorees for their exceptional accomplishments! Their achievements reflect the hard work, leadership, and commitment that strengthen ALECS, CAFES, and the agricultural community.

2025-2026 CAFES Outstanding Freshman: Cortney Copeland, Agricultural Education

2025-2026 CAFES Outstanding Junior: Emma Bilka, Agricultural Education

2025-2026 CAFES Club of the Year: Ag Communicators of Tomorrow Club

2026-2027 CAFES Advocate: Kylie Mockler, Agricultural Communication and Leadership

06/05/2026

CAFES offers a Study Abroad International Experience that visits Vietnam annually and Australia/New Zealand each year, alternating between the two locations. This year, students visited either Australia or Vietnam.

Meet 2028 graduate Kylie Mockler from Beresford, SD. Kylie is double-majoring in Agricultural Education, Communication and Leadership with concentrations in Communication and Leadership and minoring in Animal Science.

Kylie recently returned from Australia, where she visited the Great Barrier Reef and saw coral, fish, and even a few sea turtles. Kylie chose Australia because " it was somewhere that I have always wanted to go. The scenic views, the animals, and the activities we took part in were also a big factor in my decision. "

"One of the best moments of the trip was going to the cattle station. The producer had 8,500 head of cattle across thousands of acres. We even got to see the helicopter that he uses to round them up." She experienced how a large operation manages cattle and the different systems used to handle them.

Kylie's advice for anyone thinking of traveling abroad, "Do everything, especially if it scares you. I jumped into the class without knowing anybody. I almost dropped the class because I had never been out of the country, and I didn’t have anyone that I was close with. Looking back, I am so thankful I trusted my gut because I met the best people and had a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

05/15/2026

This spring, we celebrated individuals who are committed to shaping the next generation of agriculturalists through agricultural education!

Incoming students had the opportunity to be part of Ag Ed Signing Ceremonies at the South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa State FFA Conventions. We can't wait to have these motivated future teachers on campus as they begin their journey to becoming agricultural educators!

05/04/2026

Plan ahead jackrabbits!

’s 2026 Commencement Ceremonies are May 9! 🎉🎓
Expect increased traffic on campus and throughout Brookings that weekend. Plan ahead with info on parking, traffic updates and other weekend activities: Learn more about the event: https://bit.ly/4efZHxS

04/28/2026

Looking forward to working with this great new team!🐰

Congratulations to our new officer team! 🌟

These individuals were elected at the last general meeting to serve, lead, and host CAFES programming for the coming year.

President – Nolan Schmidt
Vice President – Bryce Haubenschild
Secretary - Keeley Runge
Treasurer – Tyler Groenewald
Ag Week Chair – Jordy Van De Stroet
CAFES Advocate - Kylie Mockler

04/21/2026

As we welcome attendees of the SD FFA State Convention to campus, we are pleased to spotlight Spring '27 graduate Dustin Kolb from Bison, SD. Currently pursuing a dual major in Agricultural Science and Animal Science with minors in Agricultural Business, Agribusiness Marketing, and Ranch Management, Dustin is an FFA alum.

Dustin's involvement in FFA dates back to his high school days, where he held chapter and district officer positions, competing at the national level. He later served as an SD FFA State Officer during his freshman year of college and ran for National FFA office. He says that one of his fondest FFA memories is attending the National FFA Convention during his senior year of high school, where he participated in the Parliamentary Procedure competition. Dustin believes that
"FFA has played a significant role in the development of my character, career goals, and personal growth. It's because of my involvement in FFA that I've been able to step into a wide variety of roles and feel prepared for the challenges they throw at me. "

Dustin chose SDSU "because of the people" and has seamlessly incorporated FFA into his university experience "because SDSU has a strong community around agriculture, and it feels akin to FFA, in that everyone has a common goal."

Thank you, Dustin! We are proud of our jackrabbits with FFA roots and a passion for agriculture. Watch for the blue jackets and future Jackrabbits around campus!