Fresno State student Monique Bienvenue won the 2013 McClure Outstanding Chancellor of the Year award at the National Agricultural Leadership Conference at Cornell University, April 7-9. A junior Agricultural Communications major from Downey, Calif., Bienvenue currently serves as Chancellor of Alpha Zeta Cal Epsilon.
Honored to receive the award, Bienvenue said, “Being the Chancellor has really taught me how to manage my time and work well with others. Being a leader can definitely be challenging, but overall it has prepared me for the working world.”
Bienvenue was nominated for the award by several members of the Department of Plant Science for her significant contributions to the chapter, her work as a leader and role model among her peers and her commitment to the organization, agriculture and giving back to the community.
“She is an exemplary young lady who has a very bright future,” said Marlene Miyaski, of the Department of Plant Science.
Having grown up in Southern California, Bienvenue dreams of working for the USDA and helping to promote agricultural literacy in the city. “There is a growing disconnect between agriculturists and those who live in heavily urban areas,” she explains. “I’d love to help educate them on what’s really going on in the Central Valley and how the policies they are voting on affect farmers in the Valley.”
Ten Fresno State students attended the conference with the help of grants from Fresno State’s Associated Students, Inc. and the CHS Foundation. The conference provided exposure to New York agriculture and different industry opportunities available on the East Coast.
Every year a different chapter hosts the National Agricultural Leadership Conference. Last year, Fresno State’s Alpha Zeta Cal Epsilon chapter hosted the event.
