Service and stewardship: Graduate student grows her career in Extension
Virginia Tech’s Master of Natural Resources program gave Kloe Rife the tools to serve producers and youth in Giles County.
The global experience wrapped up for Rife in Queenstown, New Zealand, at Bob's Cove, where she got to see environmental stewardship in action. Photo by Max Esterhuizen for Virginia Tech.
Growing up in Dickinson County, Kloe Rife ’23 spent her childhood surrounded by Virginia Cooperative Extension programs. From 4-H talent shows and summer camps to high school FFA and community leadership, she was shaped by the values of service and stewardship.
Now, as she prepares to graduate from the Online Master of Natural Resources (MNR) program, housed with the College of Natural Resources and Environment, Rife is sharing those same values as an Extension agent in Giles County.
“I’ve always known I wanted to help people, but I didn’t always know what that looked like,” Rife said. “The MNR program helped me find my place and gave me the tools to make a real difference.”
She discovered the degree program as she was finishing an Extension internship and realized how much she enjoyed the agriculture and natural resources side of the work. An accelerated option allowed her to continue straight from her bachelor's degree in forestry and environmental conservation into graduate studies and get a head start on her career.
The interdisciplinary degree has been preparing sustainability leaders for more than two decades, instilling the conceptual and critical thinking skills necessary for lifelong learning and career development.
“I knew I’d need a master’s degree to grow in Extension,” Rife said. “This program was the perfect fit. It aligned with my timeline and helped me build on what I was learning in the field.”
Through coursework, fieldwork, and a global study experience in New Zealand, Rife gained a new perspective on sustainability, communication, and systems thinking. One lesson that stood out was how kiwi producers use value-added marketing to strengthen profits and quality across the supply chain. Rife brought those insights back home and began applying them in the New River Valley.
“After seeing how they organized marketing programs in New Zealand, I started promoting Virginia Quality Assured cattle sales,” Rife said. “It’s a chance for producers to access new markets and increase profits, often by using protocols they’re already following. Some just didn’t know the opportunity was there.”
At one of the first stops in the global study course, Rife visited a kiwifruit farm, learning firsthand how local producers meet the challenges of global distribution. Photo by Max Esterhuizen for Virginia Tech.
The response has been promising.
Several new producers have shown interest in joining the Virginia Quality Assured program, and Rife continues to raise awareness about how strategic marketing can benefit small and midsize farms.
Beyond technical skills, the program emphasized empathy, global citizenship, and communication – qualities that directly support her work with producers and youth in the region.
“We’ve done a lot of work on listening and understanding perspectives, especially in difficult conversations,” Rife said. “That’s critical in a job like this, where relationship-building is everything.”
The Online Master of Natural Resources capstone course was a two-week study abroad trip to New Zealand. It was Rife’s first time traveling internationally and a major step outside her comfort zone.
At Waimangu Volcanic Valley, Rife saw geothermic activity up close, feeling the heat of the steam rising from the water. As part of the experience, she saw how the natural power was harnessed. Photo by Max Esterhuizen for Virginia Tech.
The devastation of an earthquake in Christchurch, scars still visible after 14 years, stuck with her. She saw how the city has been rebuilding, including the decision to leave unsafe land undeveloped rather than rebuilding in high-risk areas.
“It reminded me of what we went through with Hurricane Helene,” she said. “Some parts of Giles County were hit hard, and people lost fencing, hay, even homes. Extension was able to step in with resources and support, and seeing a global example of resilience made me appreciate that work even more.”
Rife also sees a connection between the degree program’s global focus and her efforts to help local youth see the value of staying connected to their communities. She and her colleagues run a 4-H hiking day camp that highlights local forests and public lands, helping students discover what’s already available to them in Giles County.
“There’s so much to appreciate right here,” Rife said. “We want kids to see that they don’t have to leave to find opportunity. They can build a future here in the New River Valley.”
As she looks toward graduation, Rife says the Master of Natural Resources program helped shaped the way she approaches the job she loves every day.
“It’s changed how I think, how I listen, and how I serve,” she said. “This degree has made me better at what I do, and it’s helping me make a bigger impact where it matters most.”
