2023 Aggie-of-the-Year : Allison Wilkens

By NCTA News

As we prepare to gather with Aggie alums on Saturday, it is fitting to celebrate the NCTA Aggie-of-the-Year, Allison Wilkens of Gibbon. The remainder of this writing combines excerpts from Allison's many nominations for the award.

"In addition to being an excellent student, Allison is active in many organizations and clubs on campus. She has gone above and beyond as a student, making several activities possible that would not have been without her help due to the lack of staffing.

Allison was the driving force behind many of our student activities during the past academic year. Without her, we would not have been able to have intramural sports, dances, or craft projects.

Allison puts forth a lot of effort to excel and achieve that goal. She employs many excellent study skills and tools for lecture information retention and enjoys opportunities to use that information in labs and activities.

She also takes time to participate in some non-campus activities that should enhance her post-graduation goals. We have had several good discussions in class regarding agricultural news events that may affect the opportunities and challenges of producers.

Allison is a dedicated student, agriculturist, and leader who embodies everything NCTA strives to instill in its students."

In closing and in true Allison fashion, eagerly serving NCTA post-graduation, here are her words from a recent radio spot she created for us:

"In my three wonderful college years, I completed associate degrees in Agronomy and Agribusiness and was the first woman to achieve an Irrigation Technician Certificate. I will use everything I learned in Curtis now that I'm back home farming with my family in Buffalo County, raising corn and soybeans.

I am grateful for all the memories and lifelong friends I made at NCTA, including the wonderful faculty and staff. I was truly honored to be awarded Aggie-of-the-Year and our class Valedictorian.

I loved serving as Phi Theta Kappa president and inducting many new members. My experiences with Women-In-Ag and on the Crops Judging Team were also very beneficial to me.

I credit all who helped and supported me along this journey, but foremost my faith, quoting Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

I encourage anyone interested in agriculture or animal health careers to become an Aggie - learn more by calling 1-800-3CURTIS or visit the website ncta.unl.edu. Again, this is Allison Wilkens, a proud Nebraska farmer and Aggie Alumni of NCTA – A Small College Campus with a BIG Impact!"

Part of the University of Nebraska system, the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is a two-year institution with a statewide mission of preparing students for successful careers in agriculture, veterinary technology and related industries. NCTA is known for its affordable tuition, high job-placement rate for its graduates, and for the success of student teams in competitive activities including crops judging, ranch horse events, livestock judging, shotgun sports, stock dog trials, and intercollegiate rodeo. The college is consistently ranked as one of the best two-year schools in the nation.

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