The third episode of this podcast is an interview with Michael Schmitt where we talk about our backgrounds, and he explains how he got to his career today. Mike talks about some new extension programs and opportunities for people like me who may be considering a career in Extension. A key takeaway from this is that there is a need for more people addressing climate change and working with the public to change behavior. Mike highlights some interesting points about his background being that he did not come from agriculture or farming, but had great science teachers in high school that made him passionate about agronomy and soil science. He eventually got into the agriculture field working on production farms and in industry. This led to a position in faculty at the University of Minnesota, where he worked as an associate professor, then moved to administration. He enjoys working with people and enabling his staff and faculty to be able to do their work and be successful. He leads various teams which is both tactical management and visionary to incorporate strategic leadership. He provides advice for undergraduates looking at a career in Extension to: understand what Extension is, look into internships with Extension, watch for and take advantage of mentors (whether formal or informal), and overall become familiar with what Extension is all about. Extension at the University of Minnesota is all about connecting people to resources and issues that are relevant to them. https://extension.umn.edu/
"When you fail, fail fast, fall forward, get up and go do something, learn from your mistakes and keep going."