Luke Weeks has poultry science in his blood, and his time at the N.C. State Poultry Science Immersion further soldified his passion this summer.
The Harrells Christian Academy rising junior learned about PSSI from his ag teacher, Mark Stampe, and decided it was something he wanted to pursue. He and his family, including mom Michelle and dad John, have a poultry farm, and the Harrells student wanted to learn more about the industry for himself.
During the camp, he and 11 other students got to attend poultry science lectures, tour various N.C. State facilities, and try State staples like Howling Cow ice cream. Weeks marveled at how much he learned in such a short time, stating that he has even been able to share what he learned with his dad, who has then been able to implement some of the things on their turkey farm.
All the students gave a presentation at the end which Weeks said the parents thought was “pretty cool.” Weeks found out just how much “everybody is connected in the ag industry” and emphasizied that is what he loves most about the field.
The junior Crusader has been growing his love for agriculture not only at home and in the classroom, but also with involvement in Future Farmers of America (FFA) since sixth grade. This school year, he says, he is excited to be the committee chair for the Harrells Chapter. “FFA and sports are what I look forward to the most at school.”
Weeks emphasizied his appreciation for his FFA advisors Stampe and Lindsay Matthews, comparing all they do to all the instructors taught him at PSSI, and the passion they had for poultry science education. “They came to our presentations and talked with our parents,” he added.
One of the instructors was Sampson County native Susan Jones Benoy, whose own time in FFA and agriculture education at Clinton High School led her down a path to become the director of Poultry Science Summer Immersion, and a lecturer in the poultry science department at State. Benoy shared that she always wanted to be a teacher, and her introduction to agriculture classes with Ronnie Warren at Clinton High led to pursue ag education.
Now Benoy is a lecturer in the poultry science department, as well as the director of PSSI, and she advises students as well, all of which she loves. “I love working with students, and hope to be in this position until I retire,” Benoy stressed.
The lecturer shared that the poultry science department is small, and she thinks that is a help to students, especially being at a large university. When talking about the students, she stressed: “I know every single one of them, what they want to do after graduatio … if they had a summer internship. You’re not just a number; you have a student ID, but you’re more than that.”
Benoy expressed that a lot of students struggle with the transition from a rural county to Raleigh, which is where most of the poultry science students come from, so she can share her experience coming to State from Sampson County.
“I had never driven on (Interstate) 40 before going to State,” Benoy expressed about relating to students. She also did a year of community college before transferring to the university, which helps her show students that everyone doesn’t have the same path.
“You might have a plan for your life but roadblocks can steer you to where you’re meant to be,” emphasizied Benoy, sharing that she might not have ended up in her position, a position she loves, if not for that year of community college and the one poultry science class she took during that time.
Benoy encouraged students with this: “The ag industry is wide, and poultry is the number one commodity in North Carolina. Any discipline can align with agriculture.” She also expressed to Sampson County students “if you’re wanting to stay close to home, agriculture is the industry to choose,” while emphasizing the travel opportunities with poultry science as well.
Both Benoy and Weeks encouraged all students to consider a future in poultry science. Benoy hoped all students will “greet every opportunity with a welcome sign,” and Weeks emphasized the most important thing he’d share with other students was that “there are many, many, many jobs you can do in the poultry industry.”
Both have found a passion for poultry science, and while they may be on different mile markers, their journeys started in the same place — Sampson County.