5 questions with Emily: Meet an AFBM and ACM alumna

Five Questions with Emily

Emily Dehn
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Food Business Management, and Agricultural Communications and Marketing, 2019
Associate Account Executive at FLM Harvest
Participated in Agriculture Future of America (AFA)

Describe your current job. What does it look like on a weekly basis?
As an Associate Account Executive at FLM Harvest, my job is to help our agriculture, food and rural lifestyle clients bring their marketing and communications dreams to life - sometimes dreams they didn't even know they had. Account specialists really are client relationship specialists, meaning whatever the client wants, we make happen (within reason). In my role I'm really a day-to-day problem-solver, often asking myself "How can we get this done quickly, efficiently and effectively?". Lastly, as an account executive, I act as a liaison or middlewoman between my clients and my agency. I do my best to ensure client expectations are met while enlisting the help of the talented functional specialists within the agency.

What do you most enjoy about your current role?
As cliché as it sounds, my favorite thing about my job is that no day is the same. While there are definitely cyclical tasks that can repeat month over month or year over year, I really wake up wondering what tasks, asks, excitement, or challenges each day might bring.

What made you choose CFANS and the major?
Growing up on a farm just 18 miles from Minneapolis, I had never considered going to college at the U - it was "too city". I wanted to go far away to study agriculture, so I ended up at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. While I had a great year there, I soon realized that the unique position of the U's St. Paul Campus and CFANS was exactly what I was looking for - an agricultural island in the center of a bustling metropolitan hub. As a student in CFANS, I was able to study agriculture yet also gain the benefits and experiences of Minneapolis's urban nature. Much in the way that I couldn't pick between "rural" and "city", after transferring to the U I couldn't decide whether AFBM or ACM was the best route for me. They both seemed to have their specific pros and cons. So, naturally, I went with both and couldn't be happier with my choice. I truly received a well-rounded education and couldn't be more thankful to the University.

When I made the decision to transfer to the U, knowing that there were several scholarships available including the CFANS Academic Year scholarships helped me rationalize that I could, in fact, transfer to the U and afford tuition. I am SO grateful to scholarship donors who helped make my education possible.

What was the best or most rewarding part about being a Agricultural and Food Business Management, and Agricultural Communications and Marketing double major?
My favorite part of being a hybrid ACM/AFBM student within CFANS was the broad array of students and staff I encountered. I truly had classes with every type of individual imaginable - from towns of 60 people to towns across the world... literally. Also, the smaller nature of CFANS made me feel extremely connected and welcomed amidst a very large university. You can tell the CFANS staff truly care about education and bettering the lives of the U's students each year.

How did your experiences in the major help you in your career?
My coursework was pretty on-par with what I do on a day to day basis. I have brought so many tidbits of information - from animal science to plant science to agribusiness finance - into my professional life. Additionally, working in classes and labs with a broad variety of peers really prepared me for the collaborative nature of agency life.