Ag Major Excited About Role in BVU History
Tyler Willey came to BVU as one of the first agriculture students on campus, excited about having a role in building the Ag program, including starting the BVU Ag Club.
Tyler Willey took his first steps at Buena Vista University through the Victory Arch, per tradition. Since then, his steps across campus have helped establish new traditions, as one of BVU’s first ag majors.
“There are a lot of ‘firsts’ here at BVU right now,” he says.
"Almost everything here is done on a one-to-one basis. You know every professor and can see them at any time. They’re all very encouraging of anything you want to try."
Tyler Willey
Willey, a 2019 graduate of Dallas Center-Grimes High School initially intended to study agriculture at a larger institution, building on his activity in livestock judging, soils judging, and project work with the Dallas Center-Grimes FFA Chapter. He attended the Iowa FFA Convention the past four years as well as the National FFA Convention last year in Indianapolis. But a funny thing happened on his way to the big university. Tyler and his parents, Kevin and Mandy Willey, visited BVU in Storm Lake.
“We came to BVU and talked to the professors and sat in on classes,” Tyler says. “BVU’s Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Resource Management was just getting started. I was told we could start the BVU Ag Club my freshman year. Almost everything here is done on a one-to-one basis. You know every professor and can see them at any time. They’re all very encouraging of anything you want to try.”
Willey left after his visit knowing he’d return as a freshman. Having a role in building a program appealed to his enterprising nature. He hasn’t looked back. In reality, he doesn’t have time.
“We’ve started the BVU Ag Club,” says Willey, who serves as treasurer. “I still have the first dollar we collected when the club was established.”
The Ag Club is set to tour local agricultural enterprises. Members will spend part of February hosting FFA students from high school chapters across Northwest Iowa and beyond. They’ll record radio testimonials in Storm Lake to promote National FFA Week, Feb. 22-29.
Willey also stays busy with a work-study position in the University Development and Alumni Engagement office, a position that will segue into a marketing internship. He’s taking Statistics, Ag Policy, Marketing, Management, and Macro Economics. He’s also joining the Beavers football team for his sophomore season, intent on playing a role in building more memories on the lakeshore campus.
“I found out I really missed playing football last year,” he says.
At BVU that’s the kind of activity coaches and professors encourage. If you think you might like something, give it a try. There’s no reward without some risk, a concept this freshman practices as one of BVU’s first ag majors.
“People were surprised when I told them I was coming to Buena Vista University to study ag,” Willey says. “And when I explained to them what BVU was starting and how I could get in on the ground floor, they understood. There were a lot of ‘firsts’ we could do here, and, now, they’re happening.”