Detroit native Avery Tucker wants to spread the word about agriculture’s possibilities in the big city after graduation.
Avery Tucker fell in love with agriculture while living in America’s heartland – but not by growing up on a farm. A transfer student from Detroit, Tucker became interested in agriculture by going to the farmer’s market that was close to the restaurant where she worked.
“I saw the farmers come in with their produce, and I saw their equipment,” she said. “I wanted to learn more about the process of propagating food.”
After going on a college tour of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tucker said she knew that N.C. A&T was a good fit for her.
“I saw the Reid Greenhouse and the projects being done in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, and that’s what sold me,” she said. “Everyone was very proud of this university.”
Working in the Reid Greenhouse is an important part of Tucker’s ag ed experience.
Since coming to N.C.A&T three years ago as an agricultural education major, Tucker has been named an 1890 USDA Scholar; the president of N.C. A&T’s chapter of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS,) and a member of the dean’s Student Advisory Council.
Participating in the student organizations at A&T gives her an edge, she said.
“They have really helped me develop as a professional,” she said. “They taught me how to work and look for resources outside class, instead of waiting for everything to be told to me.”
Tucker credits her professors with helping her to be successful.
“My mentors here have taught me the skills to adapt to any situation,” she said. “They really put time into talking to me and getting to know me as a person.”
After graduation, Tucker plans to take her enthusiasm for sustainable agricultural practices and agricultural education to private industry, working in either plant and soil science or crop protection.
“I knew that people were passionate about A&T, but once I came here, I found out why,” she said. “My long-term goal is to create a platform to educate people in urban areas, like where I’m from, about the importance of agriculture and reach more people who enjoy greenhouses.”
