With the highly transferrable skills learned in economics, data analysis, business, marketing and more, Food and Resource Economics graduates find themselves perfectly positioned to go into a wide range of careers.
To learn more about what our recent graduates are up to, our new Early Alumni Spotlight Series highlights these former students and the first steps they took in their career path after graduation. Our first Early Alumni Spotlight is Shelby Sumner. Shelby discusses how her Food and Resource Economics degree and undergraduate involvement is helping her earn her master’s degree in Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University now.
Name: Shelby Sumner
Major: Food and Resource Economics- International Food and Resource Economics
College: College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Graduation: Class of Spring 2024
How did you find out about FRE?
“I originally was Pre-Vet when I started taking college classes and realized that wasn’t the track I wanted to take, and I’ve always been pretty good at math and interested in policy. I went to the CALS website and found the FRE major and thought it would be a better fit for me.”
What drew you to this major when you were looking at the website?
“A lot of elective classes. The core classes looked interesting too, but I loved all the ones that were offered for the department minors such as the law classes and trade policy classes.”
Did you have any favorite classes here and why?
“I loved Agricultural Macroeconomics, and I was also a big fan of Data Analysis and Advanced Microeconomics. I’m a big math person, so those classes pushed me in that field a little bit. I’ve also enjoyed taking the law classes that are for the minor.”
What are your fondest memories from FRE?
“My fondest memories in FRE would be the trips I have been able to take with the department quiz bowl team. We’ve been able to go to New Orleans, Atlanta, Washington. DC, California, and Oklahoma City.”
What valuable skills did you gain from your time in FRE?
“I’ve gained a lot of skills in my time in FRE, especially in research and data analytics, I’ve learned a lot about Excel, especially. I knew nothing about Excel and couldn’t stand using it before I came to the department, and now it’s one of my favorite things.”
How has FRE prepared you for your next step and what is your next step?
“My next step after graduating from FRE is that I will be pursuing a master’s of science in Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University. I think that the time I have spent doing research projects and getting to work in the department have helped me prepare for my next step.”
What research projects did you participate in during your time in FRE?
“I was able to be involved in a couple different research projects. One was my own undergraduate honors research, which was on the economic and legal impacts of disease outbreaks in the US cattle industry. I also had the opportunity to work as a research assistant on specialty crops competitiveness with one of the other faculty members in the department.”
What is some advice you have for current FRE students?
“For current FRE students, if you’re not already involved, get involved in the department. There are a lot of different things that you can do between Ag Econ Club, NAMA which is the marketing competition team, and of course the Quiz Bowl team. These are all great things that will help you in your classes and help you professionally. They’re great networking opportunities as well.”
What advice would you have for new students who are considering a major in FRE?
“My biggest piece of advice would be to go to class, go to office hours, and establish connections with your professors. The faculty in the department will move mountains for you, but they do have to know who you are. Try to build those connections early on and get to spend time with your professors, because they have a lot to offer.”
Which FRE student groups were you involved with during your time here and what did you enjoy about them?
“I was involved in Ag Econ Club where I served as the treasurer for the club this past year, which offered me a lot of opportunities to hear from industry members who are past FRE graduates. Ag Econ Club allows you to get to know other students within the FRE department who you may not have classes with. It focuses on professional development and seeing what your options are for when you graduate from FRE which helps with the transitioning process.
I was also involved in the Quiz Bowl team which offered a lot of opportunities for traveling and networking. Quiz Bowl is similar to jeopardy, but you are in teams of three and all the questions categories have to do with Agricultural Economics topics such as macroeconomics, microeconomics, quantitative analysis, and resource and policy.”
Do you think there are any misconceptions about what FRE is as a major?
“I feel like a big misconception about FRE is that it’s too focused on localized agribusiness. There’s a lot of opportunities to learn about things like Ag law, trade policy, and anything in the realm. I feel like that’s something I’ve heard a lot from people who have looked at the majors that they don’t want to just learn about how to run a farm, but there is a lot more to the degree.
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