CAHNRS Talk Tuesday: Maya Wahl

Each week, we showcase one of our CAHNRS Ambassadors, a student leadership organization that encourages students to pursue higher education and serves as a liaison between the college and the greater community. This week, we’re featuring Maya Wahl, a senior from Lind, Wash.Graphic of student's interests with a formal portrait photo.

What are you studying?

I’m majoring in Agricultural Education.

Favorite Show/Movie:

The Big Bang Theory

Favorite Cougar Tradition:

My favorite tradition as a Coug is when they play the iconic “Back Home” video at the beginning of football games and the entire stadium comes together to sing the chorus of the song. It gives me chills every time and it never fails to remind me how lucky I am to be a Coug. There’s a reason Pullman is referred to as the “promised land”: we always manage to find our way back home and come together as a Coug family.

Favorite CAHNRS Commodity:

Wheat! I am part of the fifth-generation on wheat farm here in Washington where we have grown WSU varieties for many years. The researchers and breeders on campus work hard to make sure that farmers have successful crops and high yields to support families like mine. From playing in the wheat as a little kid to working in the field as an adult, I love gluten for more than its delicious breads and beers. I love the connection it has to my livelihood and my future.

Why be a CAHNRS Coug?

CAHNRS is comprised of a beautifully diverse group of individuals who are coming together to create something great. I am lucky to call myself a CAHNRS Coug for many reasons, but one is the simple fact that I have been given the opportunity to work and learn alongside people from all over the world. People who have shared their culture and traditions with me and have taught me more about the world around me than any class could. We all share common passions, but the way we have manifested those passions is different and that is why I love being a CAHNRS Coug.

Best Student Experience:

I am a senior in Agricultural Education and over the last three years at WSU, I have had the immense honor of working with the next generation of Washington’s agriculture teachers. Not only are they my future colleagues, but they have become my close friends. By getting involved with the Agricultural Education Club and CAHNRS Ambassadors, I have built relationships with future agriculture professionals that will last a lifetime. We all love what we do and support one another in our goals. I genuinely look forward to seeing my friends each year and working with them on things like volunteering at FFA events to recruiting new CAHNRS Cougs. Becoming involved in the clubs within CAHNRS was one of the best decisions I ever made in college and I will never regret the time that has spent working with my peers to make CAHNRS and Washington Agricultural Education better.

CAHNRS Taught Me:

Agriculture Future of America’s Leader’s Conference (AFA) has been a driving force in my professional development during my time at WSU. CAHNRS supports AFA members and always seeks out ways to ensure that students are getting the experience they need to excel after graduation. Attending AFA conferences has connected me with mentors, industry representatives, and future colleagues from across the country. I have learned about so many of the different facets of agriculture through AFA and it has sparked my interest in areas that I hadn’t considered before.

For example, I value food science much more now after attending the AFA Food Science Institute in Chicago. Not only did I gain knowledge in the food processing industry, but it also opened my eyes to the many different career paths that are available for my future students. It is important to understand the agriculture industry, from field to fork, so that my students truly see the opportunities that agriculture holds for them.