PAS is an organization dedicated to developing students in agriculture-related fields for the workplace through participation in employment experience programs, skillset development, network opportunities and organizational activities.  

All students in an agriculture-related program at NTC are welcome to join PAS. No previous experience is required.  

“To me, PAS is agricultural advocacy,” said Charl Van Der Nest, PAS Chapter Co-Advisor and Director of Farm Operations at NTC. “Everyone feels like they want to belong somewhere, and PAS brings in all these students, from vet tech to diesel, and everyone gets to be together doing something they enjoy.”  

Kalyna competed against 10 other students from across the nation, and this marks the sixth year in a row that NTC has had an officer on the national PAS board. She also served as the state president for PAS this year. Her fiancé, Ryan Williams, also served as the PAS state president and a national vice president a few years ago.  

“Being an officer is not easy,” Charl said. “It’s a huge time commitment during the year, it’s a lot of work, and they’re always on the chopping block.”  

The officers on the national board are responsible for planning everything for the national event, down to the flyers and menus. Next year, it will be held in Sheridan, Wyoming, and Kalyna will meet regularly with the other officers to get the event planned.  

Students in PAS compete at the local, state and national level. NTC’s chapter spends the fall and early winter meeting together and preparing for the state competition.  

NTC’s PAS students compete in an individual and a group event. Students are able to select the competitions in which they wish to compete.  This year, for the second year in a row, everyone from NTC’s chapter placed at State and advanced to Nationals, which is an impressive accomplishment and very hard to do. Four students placed at Nationals.  

NTC’s chapter co-advisors, Charl and Trevor Frank, are both very involved in the state competition, organizing the career fair, proctoring competitions and writing case studies for national competitions, and Charl is also a PAS National Board member.  

Kalyna began her postsecondary education at a four-year institution, but during the Covid-19 pandemic, her lab-based classes were moved online, and, as a hands-on learner, she decided it wasn’t working for her.  

“I decided to come to NTC instead,” she said. “I’ve never looked back. I love it.”  

She first completed the Veterinary Technician Associate Degree, and she graduated this May with a Dairy Science Associate Degree. She has been working as a veterinary technician, and although she originally thought she wanted to work with exotic animals, after working at a farm, she ended up loving it and now wants to work with large animals.   

“I had no agricultural experience before coming here, but I absolutely fell in love with it,” Kalyna said. “I thought I wanted to be a city person for the longest time, and now I want to be in the country with animals.”  

2024 PAS Wisconsin State Competition Results  

Hunter Daniels; Impromptu Speaking: 3rd Place  

Paige Smith; Employment Interviewing, Agribusiness Sales Category: 1st Place  

James Wegner; Employment Interviewing, Forestry & Natural Resources Category: 1st Place  

Grace Greenberg; Employment Interviewing, Livestock & Dairy Science Category: 4th Place  

Emily Hoppe; Agriculture Education Specialist: 1st Place  

Cali Brown; Agriculture Education Specialist; 4th Place  

Kalyna Harder; Veterinary Technician Specialist: 1st Place  

Cassidee Widmann; Veterinary Technician Specialist: 2nd Place  

Cade Farar; Veterinary Technician Specialist: 4th Place  

James Wegner & Tyler Waughtal; AMSTA – Service Technician, Team Event: 7th Place  

Mason Knab & Hunter Daniels; AMSTA – Service Technician, Team Event: 8th Place  

Savana Mata; Dairy Specialist: 2nd Place  

Cora Brandau; Dairy Specialist: 5th Place  

Savana Mata, Grace Greenberg & Isaac Kruger; Dairy Specialist, Team Event: 1st Place Paige Smith, Cora Brandau, & Aspen Hagen; Dairy Specialist, Team Event: 2nd Place  

Tyler Waughtal; Precision Agriculture Specialist: 1st Place  

Cade Farar; Equine Specialist: 1st Place  

Tiffany Smail; Equine Specialist: 2nd Place  

Cali Brown; Equine Specialist: 3rd Place  

Tiffany Smail, Cali Brown, & Cade Farar; Equine Specialist, Team Event: 1st Place  

Gabe Bohlman, Kalyna Harder & Cassidee Widmann; Equine Specialist, Tem Event: 3rd Place  

Sierra Stahnke & Gabe Willfahrt; Farm Business Management Specialist, Team Event: 3rd Place  

Aubrey Arneson; Livestock Specialist: 2nd Place  

Mariah Marquardt; Livestock Specialist: 4th Place  

Aubrey Arneson, Mariah Marquardt and Emily Hoppe; Livestock Specialist, Team Event: 1st Place  

Savana Mata, Jonathan Gibbs, Cade Farar, Isaac Kruger & Mitchell Geil; College Bowl, Team Event: 6th Place  

Trevor Frank; PAS Advisor of the Year