Classroom Meets World: Through immersive agriculture abroad, students gain insight and personal growth

Classroom Meets World: Through immersive agriculture abroad, students gain insight and personal growth

Friday, December 19, 2025

Media Contact: Sophia Fahleson | Digital Communications Specialist | 405-744-7063 | [email protected]

For a group of Oklahoma State University students, the classroom stretched approximately 12,418 kilometers, or 7,716 miles, from Oklahoma to the rolling landscapes of New Zealand and Australia.

What began as a study abroad course soon became a journey of personal growth, global awareness and appreciation for the many ways agriculture shapes daily life.

Led by Dwayne Cartmell, agricultural communications professor, the summer study abroad course goes far beyond sightseeing. Each year, it offers students across agricultural disciplines the chance to experience production, culture and community on a global scale.

The goal is simple - broaden students' worldviews while also deepening their understanding of global agriculture, Cartmell said.

"I want students to learn about agriculture globally, but also about themselves," Cartmell said.

That goal fuels his passion for helping students see the world through a wider lens, he said.

Cartmell first led students to New Zealand and Australia early in his career, beginning in 2014. After coordinating a few other international courses in places such as Costa Rica, Thailand and countries in Europe, Cartmell resumed offering this course in 2022, he said.

While it took a year to rebuild student interest, the study abroad course has since become one of the Ferguson College of Agriculture's most consistent and anticipated courses, he said.

Arakssi Arshakian, Ferguson College of Agriculture student engagement and international experiences director, said study abroad experiences are essential to developing future leaders in the industry.

"Students gain insight into agriculture on a global scale, not just locally," Arshakian said. "They learn to navigate different cultures and systems, which helps them grow personally and professionally. When they look back on college, these experiences are often what they remember most."

Before students ever set foot abroad, long months of preparation take place behind the scenes. Each course must be approved annually through multiple university levels, Arshakian said.

"It's a lot of work before the travel portion of the course begins," she added. "But we want everything in place so students can focus on learning and experiencing as much as they can once they are abroad."

Most of the 23-day course is based in New Zealand, with a few nights in Australia focused on cultural sightseeing. This past summer, students visited the Sydney Opera House to see a performance, a bucket-list item, Cartmell said.

While group outings created shared memories, each student's journey was personal, shaped by individual goals and first-time experiences.

Taylor McGill, Master of International Agriculture Program graduate student, traveled to New Zealand and Australia during her undergraduate studies in 2024. She knew she wanted to travel but had never flown out of the country before. With a combination of curiosity and opportunity, the course brought her to the Southern Hemisphere.

"That trip was legitimately life changing," McGill said. "It opened my eyes to how connected we all are through the same goals of feeding people and caring for the land."

The study abroad course combines both intensive preparation and immersive experiences. Pre-meetings covered everything from climate and currency to local agriculture and food, Cartmell said.

Students also connect with Rebecca Peterson, the New Zealand coordinator, who helps plan the itinerary and offers local insight before departure.

"I honestly think the growth I see from the students from when they first arrive to when they leave is huge," Peterson said.

Much of that transformation happens once the students touch down in New Zealand, where lessons quickly move from lecture to lived experiences, Cartmell said.

Kenna Sandberg, agricultural communications lecturer who helped co-instruct the course with Cartmell, emphasized students were exposed to a variety of agricultural practices.

The trip itinerary was designed to blend cultural experiences with exploration. Students walk through vineyards, tour sheep farms, visit beef and dairy operations and much more, said Sandberg, who is also an agricultural communications second-year doctoral student.

"I think it opened a lot of eyes to seeing how technology really has advanced, and it was cool to see them appreciate a different lens of agriculture," Sandberg said.

A highlight was attending National Fieldays, the Southern Hemisphere's largest agricultural exhibition.

"I strive to cater the experiences to students from all across majors in the college," Cartmell said. "I hope every student can identify and feel like the study abroad opportunity really fits them, growing as a part of their major."

Students also gain the chance to network and build confidence through conversations with New Zealand producers while learning about the country's agricultural practices and technologies, Sandberg said.

"I enjoy watching students engage and participate in conversation with producers," Cartmell said. "It's so much fun to see them develop a broader, more global view of agriculture as they connect what they've learned in the classroom to real-world practices."

Shayde Harris, 2024 participant and first-year veterinary medicine student at OSU, said out of the six study abroad courses he has participated in, this course was the most informative study abroad experience he has been on.

"We learn all areas of agriculture, from animal science to horticulture, and not just agricultural communications," Harris said. "Dr. Cartmell does a fantastic job of tailoring our passions into different excursions throughout the course."

Lexi Albright, 2024 participant and 2025 horticulture graduate, said the culture lessons she learned abroad were just as meaningful as the agricultural ones.

"We started in the South Island and their native culture is so prominent throughout the country with the Māori people," Albright said.

Harris added the people of New Zealand are deeply connected to their ancestral history. The pride New Zealanders take in preserving their history inspired Harris to think about how cultural identity influences the way communities approach farming and food production, he said.

"I was completely in a different world, a different hemisphere; everything was different," Albright said. "Even so, I was able to find little reminders of home, so it made me so grateful for where I do come from."

Lettie Locke, animal science sophomore who studied abroad in 2025, said she was nervous before leaving but quickly found herself immersed.

"Nothing beforehand can prepare you for some things; you just never know until you are fully surrounded by the culture and are experiencing it firsthand," Locke said. "I feel dumb in the best way, and I get the opportunity to ask questions and learn more."

For Cartmell and Sandberg, the value of the course lies in building globally minded agricultural leaders.

"I think at the end of the day the biggest thing moving forward for OSU is keeping this course student-centered and making sure students gain the most from the experiences along the way," Sandberg said.

Students expressed the same feedback and have described the program's experience as transformative, both personally and professionally.

"I hope the students have a global perspective on the agriculture, food and natural resource systems," Cartmell said. "I want them to recognize the differences and areas of the world that are advanced while understanding how we can help each other for a better planet."

Throughout the course, students recorded their experiences in daily journals and later wrote reflective essays about their growth and learning. Many of those reached beyond agriculture, Sandberg said.

"This trip was nothing like what I expected, yet it ended up being everything I needed it to be," McGill said.

Story by: Jaci Allen | Cowboy Journal