Colton L.

Buckley
AGSD 485
ALE Reflection Seminar Summer 2016
Within the Discipline
Three very important courses I took within the discipline of my degree were Advanced
Agricultural Communications, Agricultural Sales and Services, and Agricultural Marketing
Systems. Throughout the majority of my internship time at the Texas Department of Agriculture,
these courses really helped build the foundation for the more technical aspects of my internship.
Agricultural Communications helped hone in on my broader position as a spokesman at the
department through media, both live and print on various facets. Agricultural Sales and Services
really taught me how to sell agriculture, which during this very trying time with TDA and its
affiliates, this courses offerings inducted me into a wealth of expertise and knowledge. Lastly,
Agriculture Marketing Systems gave me the tools and necessary knowledge to understand the
big picture of how to roll out major communication timelines and strategies all while securing
even the most minute details for the people of Texas to be better informed about where their
products come from and where they can help rebuild the promise that Texas Agriculture really
matters.
Beyond the Discipline
Throughout my internship at the Texas Department of Agriculture and Brazos Republic,
three courses that I took during my undergraduate career came to mind in reference to working in
and out every day during this seminar program. The first is Texas Government which while it
was a lower level course it gave me extreme insight and knowledge to apply during my day to
day understanding and activities of what transpired working for the second largest state agency
in Texas, as well as developing an external affairs department with a large bulk of duties
representing the company in front of Texas governmental entities and officeholders. The second
and third courses respectively, were each Problems Courses from the agriculture department at
the university. Internship credit I received from managing a successful state-wide campaign in
Texas as well as an internship tied to serving as the youngest appointee of the longest serving
Governor in Texas history gave me an immense amount of abilities and education from the
educational stand point that played key each and every day during my seminar. The contacts,
reputation, and affiliations I gained during these Problems Courses at Tarleton State University
greatly aided my success in my summer Applied Learning Experience seminar.
Beyond Academics
My time as a political operative and public speaker really fit the niche of my duties and
requirements at the Texas Department of Agriculture and Brazos Republic as navigating the

political system, governmental system, and serving as an external affairs director. The amount of
contacts and just purely unexplainable experiences I have had on the campaign trail and in
tactical legislative meetings, etc. were greatly utilized during the time at my internships.
Interconnectedness
I greatly understand the interconnectedness of knowledge and skills gained from my time
at Tarleton State University as an undergraduate student and what was utilized during my
internships at the Texas Department of Agriculture and Brazos Republic. The courses I took at
Tarleton both in the scope of my degree and those out of it were exactly what I needed to have
the formulated background to tackle any issue at hand.
Global Awareness
By taking part in two separate internships I have been able to overcome the
preconceptions of the entry level state work and high rise, executive level experiences. While at
the Texas Department of Agriculture, I met with career long employees who had a very different
level of expertise and passion than I expected from a typical, state employee and the mentality
included with that stereotype that is heard so much about in adjacent lines of work. I also learned
that many executives in the private sector often work too long with too little sleep as their sole
focus is making sure their employees are taken care of and their business continues to grow
during turbulent times. That certainly is a difference from what is posed by media about fat
cats, corporate greed, public office holders, and even university administration officials. The
latter I have seen the inadequateness first hand compared to a Fortune 500 company level of
executives.
Broader Implications
During my time in my summer seminar internship at the Texas Department of
Agriculture and Brazos Republic, the focus on international trade and relations were at a focal
point. With the recent Brexit action, markets have been fluctuating affecting both agriculture and
oil commodities among others. The abilities I brought to the table from outside the university as
well as technical education from Tarleton State University benefited my time in the board room
as well as in the field with my respective job duties under each institution.