Ag Journeys
Gabrielle Henrichs
Major: Plant Sciences, Agroecology Option
Minor: International Agriculture (INTAG)
Good at: Cooking, environmental advocacy, portrait painting, traveling, photography, throwing M&Ms very high into the air and then catching them in my mouth, balloon-animal twisting (I’m a paid pro – book me for your party), and growing plants.
“If you want to talk like a local, it’s Dub City.”
"I grew up in DuBois, PA. It’s very rural. I didn’t grow up on a farm, but we raised chickens, rabbits, pigeons, and had a big garden. One of the things I love about Penn State is there is room for everyone here, including small town, rural, outdoorsy kids like me. I joined a club called the Penn State Spur Collectors. It’s all about conservation of wild turkeys. It’s been a great way to meet kids with similar interests and get out in the woods and enjoy."
“Nepal Changed Everything.”
Between my junior and senior years of high school I went to ’farm camp,’ a month of ag sci classes at Penn State, better known as the Pennsylvania School for Excellence in the Agricultural Sciences (PSEAS). Through that experience, I earned a spot on an ag study trip to Nepal.
My trip to Nepal changed everything. Seeing the difference that better ag can make in people’s lives, like using better seeds and smarter irrigation. This wasn’t just science. This was changing people’s lives for the better.
"My suitemates are all nuts."
“From the first day, we just clicked."
"An Animal Science major from Curwensville, PA, right around the corner from where I grew up.
A Community, Environment, and Development (CED) major from Mechanicsburg.
A Food Science major—from Vietnam. That’s right, all Ag!"
From right next door, across the state, and around the world—one big happy Penn State ag family.
“Everything we’re doing here at ag is on the cutting edge of what we need for the future.”
“I am over the moon about Penn State greenhouses.”
"A friend asked if I’d been to Buckhout Greenhouse. I walked in and was overwhelmed and overjoyed. Everything was labeled—so many kinds of plants. I am so happy here. It was love at first sight. I study there, hang out there. It’s my favorite place on campus."
"They are interested in kids who show interest."
"If your professors know you’re working hard, they’ll go the extra mile to find opportunities for you. They don’t want you to just succeed. They want you to make an impact."
“I learned way more than I ever imagined.”
"This summer I worked at Catoctin Mountain Growers in Maryland, a major East Coast producer of ornamentals. When I initially inquired about an internship, they said they didn’t have one, until they found I was a Penn State Plant Science major. They created one for me on the spot!
By the end of my time there, I had two acres of greenhouse that I was taking care of while one of the head growers went on vacation. It was eye-opening to see production on such a large scale. It was a fantastic experience."
