Michaela Bram

11/25/2015

ALE Reflection

Within the Discipline

Animal Related Systems, AGSD 4350, was a course that I walked into
with fear, due to other students opinions. Surprisingly, it wasnt near as
treacherous as said to be. Power Point, was not one of my strongest points
coming into this class, but when I left I realized it was a simple program that
had an effective technique in sharing information when used properly.
Assimilating the presentations in a way that students could grasp the
concept of a topic was a strong point that I had gained by experiment of
techniques throughout the course. Knowing that I can now use my ingenuity
on a computer application, such as Power Point, to maximize others
knowledge is riveting. Power point was only one of my weak pointspublic
speaking was the other. The pressure of presenting information to others in
the classroom, that you yourself had just attained, is unnerving. Now, in the
end, I have realized that the combination of Power Point, extensive
knowledge on the topic you are presenting, and confidence, makes effective
communication inside/outside the classrooms a breeze.
During my journey through freshman year I took General Animal
Science, ANSC 107, which expanded the knowledge I had attained through
life experiences with agriculture. I used to rely on others for advice when it
came to raising and feeding my livestock. Integrating the concepts I
attained throughout this course such as, feeding formulations, genetics,
reproduction, and health is now something I can apply to my own livestock.
These were fundamental skills that that I have continued to maximize over
the years. The ability to accomplish these tasks, and not have to ask
someone else What do I do? is implausibly rewarding. Labs and fieldtrips
gave a hand on experience and visual representation of the correct
procedures and helped me gain insight on future goals I set for myself.
As a woman, Agricultural Power Units, AGSD 201, was a course that
summoned my manly side. Power Units taught basic maintenance and repair
of engines and irrigation systems. Growing up I was told, If you want a
truck of your own, you better know how to fix it. This course applies to the
statement directly above. Learning how to maintain an engine is important

Michaela Bram

11/25/2015

and in the long run will save you money. Knowing the basics of how an
internal combustion engine functions will allow one to identify the problem in
an early stage before it progresses into more than one issue. Most problems
end up chain reaction when it comes to engines because everything in an
engine works together to function correctly. Therefore this class has allowed
me to have a better understanding on the processes of an internal
combustion engine and to more easily identify a problem under the hood.
Beyond the discipline
The course, American National Government, POLS 201, is a course that
influences my decisions when it comes to voting. Learning how the
government is set up is a vital step to understanding how it affects our lives
as Americans. It not only covers government, but entwines law, history, and
philosophy. I have learned about the leaders the U.S. has once sustained,
both the good and bad, and from that I now apply those ethics sustained by
the greatest leaders into who I vote for to run our country. America is not in
the greatest position right now in my perspective due to who is in office. We
as Americans must not allow our country to be ran down, that is why I
choose to understand the concepts of how the House of Representatives is
controlled and apply it to my decisions in politics.
College Composition and Research, Engl 112, proved to me that my
writing indeed had some room for improvement. Having a mother whom of
which was an English teacher goes a long waybut not all the way.
Research turned out to be one of my not so favorite things because I didnt
know how to properly cite a paper. I didnt understand MLA format and the
book just never seemed to help. Finally, I broke down and just asked for help
from my professor. Like any professor would be, he was more than glad to
help me. Now going into the Masters program doesnt seem so detrimental
due to the fact that I now know how to properly research and cite my
sources.
Cultural Anthropology, Soc 101, was a course I thought to be a waste
of time. Basically, I had no desire to learn about other cultures. After the
first couple of days I started to appreciate the ways other cultures lived. I
had begun to notice that we have it pretty easy over here. A respect for
others, those of a different race and country, began to grow on me. Now I
can walk around Tarleton State University knowing that we are all different
and we should respect that. I can have a conversation with foreigners and

Michaela Bram

11/25/2015

have general background knowledge on how they were brought up. In

general, it shaped me to be a more accepting and understanding individual.
Beyond academics
In high school I was a member of both 4-H and FFA which taught me a
tremendous amount of life skills. I showed every possible animal and even
tractors over my career. I woke up early, fed all the animals, went to school,
returned home, fed the animals again, worked on my homework, and worked
on the tractor restoration project. Sounds like a long day right? It was. I
learned what hard work and dedication were throughout these long days.
Now that Im working in the real world I can apply the same hard work and
dedication to get me through the day. I am responsible for being on time
and doing my job correctly as I was in high school with my animals.
As I went about beginning my college career FFA was something I could
not let go of. I struggled with the thought of losing that connection, so I
joined Frank Philips Collegiate FFA, which I became the President of after the
first week. Being the president of a collegiate chapter was way different
than high school. I had to organize district competitions for LDE and CDE
events, run many meetings across campus, and even work the San Antonio
Stock Show. Organization is key when it comes to organizing the events. It
is also important to have back up help for supervision over events, just in
case somehow eight of your fifteen helpers all end up in jail the night
before/morning of competition. That incident of being short-handed taught
me how to balance a busy schedule without absolutely freaking out. It was a
lot of pressure to have on your shoulders, when the event is coordinated by
you, and you cant seem to have your ducks in a rowliterally. Overall, with
patience, strong work ethic, and confidence it seemed to work out just fine. I
look back at that situation quite often and apply it to stressful situations
when Im feeling a little ungrounded, just to reassure myself that everything
will be okay.
Interconnectedness
This Fall I took an internship with Black Kow Compost in Dublin, Tx. I
chose this position due to my background in the dairy industry. The courses
and life experience I have listed above have helped a tremendous amount in
this internship. I had to have a strong work ethic due to the amount of work I
had to put in on a daily basis. Power Units taught me basic mechanics to
apply to daily maintenance of the scabar. Understanding temperatures of
cow manure and why it was so hot was due to the knowledge I received in

Michaela Bram

11/25/2015

Animal Related Systems. Being able to have adequate knowledge was

extremely helpful in receiving this position at Black Kow. Also, being able to
properly use Power Point contributed to me being able to create how to
presentations for the customers of Black Kow. Thankfully my anthropology
class had contributed to me being able to communicate and understand
some of the workers that we have out at the jobsite.
Global Awareness
When I chose this internship I figured it was pretty easy-going and
simple. I thought I would just pick up manure, package it, and send it off.
That is definitely not what happened. The dairy would bring in 6-10 loads of
manure a day which was set into D/C rows which were turned once a week
by our front end loader. Then we separated the D/C piles into rows which
had to be turned at least twice a week by the scabar. Temperatures had to
be between 130-150 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-6 weeks before the thought of
taking it to the screener was relevant to the situation. Temperatures were
taken daily very precisely. Once moved to the screener piles we had to
transfer them to the screener one load at a time very slowly. It was a very
time consuming process and definitely not a very glamorous job to say the
least.

Broader Implications
Globally, not many people are aware of where and how the manure
they use as fertilizer comes from. I, in fact, was never aware of the process,
and I was an agricultural fanatic. Now that I know the importance of the
manure we send out to all the different nurseries and farms it shines a light
on how much work actually comes before the farmers putting food on our
table. It is important especially to those who grow organic material. Now I
have a respect for more than just the farmers. I stood in the shoes of a man
who puts in many hours a day just to provide the farmers with the fertilizer
they need to grow their crops. This was an eye opening internship
experience that I am lucky to be able to stay with after I finish the internship
and help their company succeed and grow.

Michaela Bram

11/25/2015