Alcorn holds its annual AgDiscovery summer program, hosts youth from nine states
Students from nine states participated in one of the most exiting summer programs that Alcorn State University offers – AgDiscovery. The annual camp provides youth ages 12 to 16 with a two-week experience during which students are exposed to many facets of animal science. They learn about animal anatomy, tour farms and places of interest, and get hands-on experience with animals.
"Every year we welcome program participants from all over the U.S. and this year is not an exception as we have children from Georgia, Virginia, Mississippi, New Jersey, Florida, Maryland, Louisiana, Nevada and Tennessee,” stated Dr. Cassandra Vaughn ’84, Alcorn State University veterinarian. “We truly have a melting pot here on campus where students exchange ideas and share interest in animal science and veterinary medicine.”
Keynigejuan Hamilton, from Leland, Mississippi, who wants to be a veterinarian when he grows up, enjoyed the program because “it is very interactive, we get to do a lot with animals, like grooming and vaccinating them. Also, we exercise and eat good food.”
Chris Whisenton graduated from Alcorn in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in animal science and served as camp counselor for this program. He thinks that “the camp provides the children with a valuable opportunity to find out what it takes to become a veterinarian and see if they are cut out for it.”
For Miranda Dotson form Pemberton Borough, New Jersey, I’s her first trip to Alcorn and to the state of Mississippi. She followed her sister’s footsteps who attended this program last year. “She enjoyed the camp at Alcorn so much, so I said to myself that I want to experience it too and I am really glad I came here. My favorite part is taking care of miniature horses.”
Konstantinos Zakis from Las Vegas Nevada, grew up on his family farm and from an early age has been enjoying agriculture. “I love working with animals and I want to be a farmer when I grow up, but before that I want to go to college to study agriculture. I got a preview of what college is like here at Alcorn.”
The camp included educational trips to Dauphin Island, Alabama, where the group took a boat to watch dolphins, to Global Wildlife Safari in Folsom, Alabama, and to an alligator ranch in Moss Point, Mississippi. The program concluded with a closing ceremony held in the Ag Science Building on the Lorman campus Friday, June 27.
For additional information about this program, contact Dr. Vaughn at (601) 877-6541.
