Congratulations to Sheriden Schuerman on receiving the 2025 CFAES Distinguished Senior Award! Sheriden's a Sustainable Plant Systems (SPS) major with a Plant Biosciences specialization + she's just a few weeks away from graduating.
The Distinguished Senior Award honors top graduating seniors on the Ohio State Columbus campus who exemplify the CFAES mission in areas such as academics and scholarship, research and innovation, service and involvement, and influence and leadership. Only 24 Seniors were selected for this honor - what a great way to cap off her time as an undergrad!
Luckily, Sheriden had a moment to share a bit about her experiences as an undergrad here at Ohio State...
HOW'D YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN Plant Biosciences?
I became interested in Plant Biosciences because I had always had an interest in biology and learning how the body worked, but I also had a passion for agriculture because my family farms. I had decided on Plant Biosciences because it felt like a great mix of the two interests, and I was really interested in the career paths I could take with that specialization!
COULD YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE MAJORING IN SPS: Plant Biosciences?
In my experience in this major I felt like I had a really personalized course curriculum that was unlike other people's even within the major. I really enjoyed this because I felt I could customize my courses to fit the things I was interested in and things that I found could apply to real-world issues. Specifically, as a Plant Biosciences specialization I felt I focused on getting down to the cellular level of every aspect of a plant lifecycle, something that I think will become very pertinent while working in the industry.
WHAT'S NEXT AFTER GRADUATION?
I am joining onto my family's Pioneer Seed Agency (Flatrock Acres) as an associate sales representative with the goal to lead the agency within the next few years!
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR STUDENTS CONSIDERING BECOMING AN SPS MAJOR?
The sky is your limit with this major! There are so many options to choose from within the major and specializations, so take the opportunity and run with it! Make it what you want!
Closing thoughts?
I so appreciate how tight knit this department is and how supportive all the professors and other faculty have been during the time I have been here. I truly felt recognized which is a huge deal when considering how big this university is, so thank you!
From all of us here in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science we wish you the best as you become an alumnus + begin your career!
P.S.
If you're feeling inspired to begin your own undergraduate journey with us, we have a wide variety of academic paths for you to choose from to help you grow your career…