On September 11, the Northern Prairie NAMA Chapter hosted a social at the Big Iron Farm Show at the West Fargo Fairgrounds. Complete with pulled pork, bacon mac and cheese, and of course, an educational component as well. The event kicked off with an introduction of what NAMA is, and how the Northern Prairie Chapter works with professionals to connect them and provide positive experiences and interactions with agriculture.

The Student Chapter President, Thomas Konetschka, spoke about the student chapter’s NAMA competition success in past years and their current project…stay tuned!

The educational aspect kicked off with Emily Schubert, the Communication and Program Manager for the NDSU Research & technology Park, also the Director of Communication for the Northern Prairie NAMA Chapter.

Her lively energy helped set the pace for the event as she dove headfirst into the concept of networking, why it makes us groan, and how to be the most memorable person in the room when attending networking events. The key: don’t talk about yourself, ask the other person questions and make them feel important and valuable. Her call and repeat strategy helped engage the audience and she made the comparison that her teaching style was like that of camp call-and-repeat songs. The networking session went through a story to help audience members remember what questions and topics they should ask about to get the most information possible. It made for an easy transition to Sarah Hill, as she led a group discussion on leadership qualities. It was a great evening of networking and leadership.