Alumni Spotlight: Caroline Arendt
Thursday, October 14, 2021
Get to Know Caroline!
Tell us a little bit about yourself:
"Growing up a certified horse girl, let’s be honest, I still am one, I’ve always found the western lifestyle romantic. Not long after I set foot on Oklahoma State’s campus I received an email showcasing the Agricultural Communications program and all the career opportunities you could apply the degree to. As a natural right-brainer creative-type, was drawn to the possibilities and immediately made myself an appointment with Dr. Shelly Sitton (now Legg), and the rest is history.
"With each semester I became more passionate about sharing all the narratives that make up agriculture — at the same time the divide between producer and consumer became more apparent to me. Not having come from a traditional ag background, I used to be pretty insecure about my credibility and ability to be an authentic advocate. About halfway through my college career, what I once viewed as my weakness, my suburban upbringing, was actually a strength — I could relate to and most importantly help both sides communicate.
"Under my own LLC for the past 2 years, I’ve had the opportunity to bring a suburban perspective to the farm-to-table tabletop and share rural stories online using social media marketing. My job has taken me all over the country and afforded me the opportunity to collaborate with many different western industries, from rural water associations to million-dollar horse racing."
What is your favorite part of your job?
“My favorite part about my job is that no two days look the same. I have clients throughout the agriculture, western, equine, and even ag-tech industries so every day presents a new challenge and constant adventure making sure I’m effectively communicating to said industries' individual audiences. The diversity and evolution of social media and the digital work I do always ensures that I’m focused on bettering my storytelling and staying up to date with all the trends. TikTok isn’t going away anytime soon, folks.”
How has your agricultural communications degree served you in your career?
“Thanks to my handy Ag Comm degree, I use lessons from my writing, graphic design, and digital marketing classes daily. Some of my books still sit in my home office. Additionally, many of my classmates and I still keep in touch and I actually work alongside many of them in different capacities. It’s nice collaborating with peers who have the same educational foundation."