College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Forestry

Good day fellow foresters! I hope you have been able to find time this summer to enjoy the warm weather and safely see some family and friends!  

As we approach the upcoming school year, I am excited to watch my oldest start kindergarten. She participated in pre-school last year, but it was certainly a different experience for her. It is hard to believe that she is old enough already to start going to school! Time sure flies these days, and it seems to be going faster and faster. 

I can’t help but think about all the people and coordination it takes to help my little one at school, and how much I appreciate their dedication and their guidance they provide all our kids. I’ve been overjoyed to see my daughter come home excited to show me what new art project she did at school, or that she learned to write her name. These seem like totally small and insignificant things when I reflect on all the chaos that is happening around us in the world today. But I find a gem of joy in the pleasant distraction of the goings on of a young school kid. 

Sooner than I would like to admit, I will blink, and my girls will be all grown up and headed off to college. I think about all the folks returning to campus this year and the commitment it takes to work through college during these uncertain times. I remember the excitement of starting my first year at MSU. Hard to believe it was back in 2006 when I transferred to MSU from Lansing Community College and started my path to a Forestry degree. 

Fast forward 15 years or so, from my first days at MSU, and I find myself running my own business and serving as the president of the Alumni Association. I continue to be grateful for my time at MSU, all the many lessons learned, the guidance, and the mentors I’ve had over the years. 

During these challenging times, I would encourage you all to seek out opportunities to possibly help our current class of Forestry students. It takes a committed student, dedicated department staff, and a host of dedicated alumni to keep the Forestry Department thriving. One huge way you can help with this task is to visit the MSU Forestry Alumni website and become a mentor. We continue to develop our list of mentors and are excited for many more to volunteer their gifts with our students. 

We are hoping to be able to connect juniors and seniors with a wide range of potential mentors. We would like to have as many mentors as possible so we can connect the right mentor with the student depending on what the student is interested in and where in the country they might want to end up. 

If you get a chance, please visit the MSU Forestry Alumni page, update your contact information (for.msu.edu/contact) and become a mentor; you never know the difference you might make in a student’s life. Thank you so very much for taking the time to become a mentor. If you have any questions about becoming a mentor or how to get involved with the Alumni Association, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us! 

Your friend,

Jason Darling

BS 2008

President, MSU Forestry Alumni Association 

Owner – Darling Forestry, LLC

Jason@DarlingForestry.com