Ciera Ballmer is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, double-majoring in Dairy Science and Life Sciences Communication. Growing up outside of Janesville, Wisconsin, Ciera grew her love for agriculture through 4-H and FFA. Now in college, she continues growing her knowledge and passion for agriculture being involved in many agricultural student organizations and serving as a Wisconsin FFA State Officer for two years. After graduation, Ciera plans on pursuing a career relating to agricultural education and communications, so she can continue sharing her agricultural story, to help build and inspire the next generation of leaders and agriculturists.
Hannah Nave is a seventh-generation livestock farmer from Woodbury, Tennessee. With her family, she cares for 50 commercial ewes, 40 commercial beef cattle, 10 horses and two livestock guardian dogs. Her passion is producing high quality meat and show animals for family and the local community. Hannah was active in 4-H and FFA and served as a state officer in both organizations. Hannah is a senior at the University of Tennessee in Martin, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Business with a Communications Minor. She is an officer in Collegiate Farm Bureau and Collegiate FFA. After graduation in December of 2019, Hannah and her fiancé plan to return to the family farm to grow the operation and continue the tradition. Hannah’s education will help her spread about agriculture through media and public relations.
Rebekka Paskewitz grew up on a sawmill, helping on her uncle's dairy farm. Over the years, she was extremely involved in 4-H and FFA, showing cattle and serving as a Minnesota FFA State Officer. Currently, she is a junior at South Dakota State University studying Agricultural Education. Rebekka proudly serves Minnesota dairy farmers as this year’s Princess Kay of the Milky Way, and loves sharing the dairy story in classrooms, at conferences, and through social media. She runs on coffee, crocs, laughs, and the Lord but was grounded in long weekends at tractor pulls and following her grandpa around the farm. In the future, she hopes to serve agriculture as a communications relations specialist where she can interact directly with consumers through media platforms, in classrooms, and on-farm tours.
Jared Retzlaff is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls studying Agricultural Marketing Communications. His love for agriculture and food began on his family's farm near Oshkosh, Wisconsin where he raised Holstein steers. He has worked with Farm Bureau in the past as an intern for the Minnesota Farm Bureau Foundation. Other professional experience includes serving as a national student leader with Agriculture Future of America (AFA) and working at Bader Rutter as a public relations/social media intern. Jared is currently the lead marketing intern managing his university's social media accounts for their campus mascot. In his free time, he enjoys cheering on the Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers and exploring new places.
