UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) alumnus, Brady Revels graduated from the department of agricultural education and communication. As a child, he visited the University of Florida campus as a 4-H member to attend dairy judging workshops at the department of animal sciences. As Revels matured into a middle and high school student, his involvement in FFA landed him in various places on the University of Florida campus, often in CALS, almost every weekend in the spring. Later, Revels attended college as an agricultural education and communication student. He knew from a young age he wanted to work in agriculture and was able to plug into CALS to make his dream a reality.
“I knew I wanted to work in agriculture, and I have a strong passion for education and communication so AEC was a natural fit,” Revels said.
He credits Dr. Charlotte Emerson and Dr. Grady Roberts for their influential impacts on his career path. Revels said he could always depend on Dr. Emerson to remind him what to do and what not to do and, as his advisor, Dr. Roberts helped pave the path to graduation. He also mentioned Dr. Kirby Barrick and Dr. Elaine Turner, the dean and associate dean at the time, were always so approachable and involved in his academic career as a student and CALS ambassador.
Revels was involved in Collegiate Farm Bureau, Collegiate FFA and Dairy Science Club, and he even studied abroad. He encourages current students to do the same. “Take advantage of every extracurricular club, trip or experience you can,” said Revels. “I’ve never been asked about my GPA, but I have been asked about my involvement. Go on a study abroad; those are experiences you can never lose.”
After college, he stayed plugged into Farm Bureau, and earlier this year was honored by American Farm Bureau with the Excellence in Agriculture Award. This award is based on the applicant’s Farm Bureau, agricultural and community involvement. Revels has served as a county board member and state chairman of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee. His application focused on making the connection between local and state leaders, the impact agriculture has on the state of Nebraska, and the impact the state of Nebraska has on agriculture.
In his career, Revels works as a sales account manager for Cargill. He finds the coolest part of his job to be getting to spend every day helping dairy farmers maximize the value of their time and money. “It is rewarding knowing that I helped my customers be more efficient, profitable and sustainable,” Revels said. He finds excitement in being a spokesperson and advocate for the industry. In his career, he serves as a bridge between his customers, his companies, and the public.
CALS faculty members modeled teaching strategies and guided Revels to be a transformative educator. Although he is not working in a traditional classroom setting, the skills he gained in CALS have prepared him for his career. “While I am not a teacher, I am educating my customers about my product and how to make positive changes to their operations,” Revels said. “Using the lessons I learned in the classroom makes it easier to communicate and being a CALS ambassador was instrumental in helping me hone my skills as a presenter and facilitator.”
The Department of Agricultural Education and Communication develops leaders, educators and communicators to meet the challenges society is facing in the agricultural and natural resource industries. The department offers programs for both undergraduate and graduate degrees in agricultural education and communication, with specializations involving agricultural communication, agricultural education, extension education and leadership development. At the undergraduate level, AEC programs are offered both in Gainesville and Plant City, Florida. Find a CALS major that suits your interests by taking our majors quiz. You can also find information regarding our undergraduate and graduate programs on our website.
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