Ellen Knight Digs Deeper into Life and Education
By: Anna Pitts
Ellen Knight has never been afraid of getting her hands a little dirty. But dirt has not been the only thing this recent graduate of the agronomy and soils department has had her hands in.
For Knight, Auburn and agriculture were a part of her life long before she enrolled in the College of Agriculture. "I always knew I was coming to Auburn," says Knight, a third-generation AU student. "I was raised an Auburn fan, and there was just no other choice."
Knight grew up about 40 miles away from Auburn in the farming community of Wadley, Ala. "My first memories of Auburn and agriculture are coming to football games and going to Ag Roundup," says Knight. "That is when I really put the two most important aspects of my life, AU football and agriculture, together in my mind."
By joining her high school Future Farmers of America organization an idea of a career in agriculture was becoming clear. "FFA helped me become interested in pursuing a career in agriculture," says Knight. "It opened up doors, but I still had no idea until I came to Auburn how many possibilities there were in agriculture."
"I chose agronomy and soils because I wanted to work more closely with the farmers," says Knight. "And I thought agronomy would allow me to do that."
Once Knight became a member of the Auburn student body, she took advantage of every opportunity that came her way, by getting involved in activities and organizations and, in the process, scooping up honors, leadership experiences and scholarships. How does one graduate summa cum laude, hold a part-time job and have a social life? "I always did everything in high school," says Knight. "I hadn't known any better."
Knight had her hands in a little bit of everything during her tenure at Auburn University. She served as president of Ag Ambassadors and secretary of the Agronomy Club, and she participated in Alfa Young Farmers, NAMA marketing team, Relay for Life, Freshman Forum and Dunkin' Darlings.
"Being involved in these different organizations improved my people skills," says Knight. "You learn to relate to different people, in different ways and in different situations."
Attending football games, taking trips with Ag Ambassadors and the Agronomy Club and representing Auburn at the Sunbelt Farm Expo are some of her memories of Auburn and the CoAg. "Going on trips with the Agronomy Club or Ag Ambassadors have been the highlight because that's when you get to really know people," says Knight.
For Knight's hard work she received many awards including the President's Award for CoAg, Who's Who Among American Colleges and Universities, Gamma Sigma Delta Senior Merit award and the Charlie Summerhour Outstanding Senior in Agronomy award.
The most recent award Knight received was the prestigious Comer Medal for Excellence in Natural Sciences, established to honor the student with the highest GPA in agricultural sciences.
As an undergraduate, Knight received several scholarships from a variety sources including the Alabama Farmers Federation, Agronomy and Soils Department, Alabama Feed and Grain Association and the Terry Beasley #88 Scholarship fund. Other scholarships she received came from Legacy, Inc., Williams/Transco and the James Earl and Louise Mobley endowed scholarship.
Knight was also a member of a number of honor societies on Auburn's campus, including Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Alpha Zeta and Phi Eta Sigma. In addition she was chosen as a Gamma Sigma Delta Outstanding Freshman.
She attributes her success to her solid time-management skills and to her parents. "Grades always came first with my parents," says Knight. "They showed me that school was the most important thing and gave me the determination to do the best that I could and not settle for less."
Last summer Knight interned with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. "You put all you've learned in class into practice," says Knight. She says she hopes to land a similar job with the government in the future.
But for Knight, a career will wait until she finishes her master's degree in turfgrass management. "I'm a little scared about graduate school because I really don't know what to expect, but I am excited too," says Knight.
By keeping her hands a little dirty and her calendar full and by working hard, Knight has accomplished much that she can be proud of. With no regrets Knight looks back on her memories as a CoAg undergraduate with contentment and great satisfaction.
"It's been better than I ever expected," says Knight. "I never knew it would be this much fun or that I would meet this many people. It's been more than I could have hoped for or ever imagined."