CAES alum balances ag policy and cancer advocacy

Many of the lessons Lackey leans on daily for her role with the National Corn Growers Association - and her foundation - were learned in classrooms within the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication (ALEC) at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).

Inspired by ALEC graduates who had become teachers, lawyers and policy makers, Lackey took full advantage of the flexibility of the program.

"The opportunity in CAES to mold the ALEC program to best fit my needs was appealing. It's such a flexible program and it's really one where you can adapt it to what you're interested in," said Lackey, who earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural communication. "There are so many things you can do with this degree; I used it to really focus on ag policy and politics."

Outside the classroom, Lackey dove into as many CAES extracurriculars as she could pack into her schedule. She helped with Block and Bridle, an animal science club promoting a higher scholastic standard and more complete understanding of animal science among its student members. Serving as an officer for Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow fit her focus well, but Lackey also expanded beyond communications by participating on the Livestock Judging Team and taking animal science classes.

"I stretched out to make sure I could take in as much of the really cool research and development that was going on even outside of my department - I absorbed as much as I could from CAES," Lackey said. "I knew that I would only be there for a few years, and I knew I wanted to soak in as much of the history, pride, reputation and alumni connections as I could."

While Lackey urges CAES students to soak in as much as they can from their experiences, she has a slightly different message for recent graduates: slow down.

Leading up to her 2020 graduation, Lackey spent countless hours on her laptop, applying for dozens of jobs. She eventually did secure a role in Washington D.C., but then realized that she was something of an anomaly - many graduates don't have a job for six or seven months after walking across the stage.