OKLAHOMA CITY — Students from Oklahoma schools had the opportunity to get an up close look at some of the many services provided by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) as part of Career Exposure Week.
On Nov. 13, McKenzie Olson of Burlington, Kaylynn Barrie of Crescent, Charley Johnson of Mulhall-Orlando, Bow Hodson of Salina and Buck Lore of Newcastle were invited to ODAFF as part of Governor Mary Fallin and the Oklahoma Works Team’s Career Exposure Week.
The week is designed to introduce students to careers in businesses and industries vital to the state’s economic systems and critical occupations.
McKenzie Olson of Burlington, from left, Charley Johnson of Mulhall-Orlando, Kaylynn Barrie of Crescent, Buck Lore of Newcastle and Bow Hodson of Salina and were recently invited by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to participate in Governor Mary Fallin and the Oklahoma Works Team’s Career Exposure Week. They are shown at the Oklahoma National Stockyards Company with Robbie Sanders, an inspector with the Animal Industry Division of ODAFF. (Courtesy Photo)On Nov. 13, students began their visit by having lunch at ODAFF with Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Jim Reese and Jamey Allen, Director of Market Development. This provided an opportunity to talk about the agricultural industry in Oklahoma.
Students then visited the Oklahoma National Stockyards Company where Robbie Sanders, an inspector with the Animal Industry Division of ODAFF, explained his responsibilities to them.
Next, students returned to the ODAFF building where they met with Tanna Hartington, Director of Laboratory Services, and members of her staff.
“The students did an experiment demonstrating the concepts of separation chromatography in which they separated the two pigments used in grape flavored Kool-aid,” Hartington said. “Chromatography is one of the analytical techniques that is used by the Agriculture Laboratory.”
The day concluded with the students accompanying Secretary Reese and Deputy Commissioner Betty Thompson to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum where Secretary Reese served as the evening’s keynote speaker at the Men’s Dinner Club of Oklahoma City. The students were given the opportunity to visit with business leaders. The business leaders were great to share personal career decisions they made in their lives and what is important for success in life.
ODAFF appreciated the opportunity to host the students and to provide them a close look at just a few of the many services of the agency.
–Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry
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