CANR Alumni Board Spotlight – Matthew Kapp
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EmailCANR is releasing a series of spotlights on Alumni Board members. Matthew Kapp is currently an Executive Board member representing CANR at large.
The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) has nearly 60,000 alumni living around the world. The CANR Alumni Board plays a critical role connecting this large and diverse alumni community to meaningful ways to engage with the college after graduation.
The mission of the CANR Alumni Board is to build relationships that serve the college, alumni, students and friends of MSU. The board consists of 17 volunteer members representing each of the college departments, MSU Extension, young alumni and six at-large members. These members meet four times a year: September, December, March and July in East Lansing.
Alumni Board members have a variety of responsibilities, including promoting college events and philanthropic opportunities. They also serve as liaisons between the college, academic departments, alumni, and the agriculture and natural resources industries, among other duties. The work of the Alumni Board helps to keep the CANR community vibrant and connected.
CANR is releasing a series of spotlights on Alumni Board members. These stories will highlight each member's motivation for joining the board and share their experiences in this role.
Matthew Kapp (’98, Agricultural Technology Certification; ’04, B.S. Agriculture and Natural Resources Communications) is currently an Executive Board member representing the CANR at large. He is currently a Government Relations Specialist at Michigan Farm Bureau.
How did your experience at CANR set you up for success in your career after graduation?
Networking was very useful and ultimately landed me a job offer. For a senior seminar course, I needed to do a mock interview. I choose an industry representative I knew from my membership in FarmHouse Fraternity. The mock interview ended up being a real interview and almost 20 years later, I’m still a Michigan Farm Bureau employee all because of being involved which led to a greater network of people that I know.
What inspired you to become a CANR Alumni Board member?
I was asked to serve, and I took the opportunity when it presented itself.
What advice do you have for CANR current students?
Get involved. The more involved in CANR student organizations you are, the more you will get out of your college experience.
How would you encourage other CANR alumni to get involved and connect with the college?
Attend functions of the college and reconnect with student clubs that you were involved with during your time at MSU.
What kind of impact do you hope to have as a member of the CANR Alumni Board?
I hope my involvement on the board can help encourage the alumni association to host more events such as the tailgate we had last fall and the golf outing that we used to hold. I also support hosting an event with current students and industry professionals so we can better connect our students and alumni.
Learn more about the responsibilities and mission of the CANR Alumni Board and its members. To learn more about how you can get involved or serve on the CANR Alumni Board, please contact the CANR Advancement team.
