Cooperative Extension connects research-based information to community needs; however, it is unclear how undergraduate students are connected to  Cooperative Extension and Extension careers. This study examined how structured university course-based exposure shapes students’ perceptions, motivations, and connections about the Cooperative Extension System through the lens of Social Learning Theory. Using a qualitative approach and a longitudinal research design, we followed nine (blinded) undergraduate students enrolled in one Extension education course over two semesters in 2025. Participants were enrolled in person (n = 4) and online (n = 5) course modalities and represented different majors such as agricultural education and communication, entomology and nematology, and sustainability studies. Data sources included multiple semi-structured interviews and guided reflections over the duration of both courses.. Findings showed consistent, directionally positive shifts in students’ conceptualizations of Extension Education, from definitions as “spreading knowledge” to articulated views of Extension as a multi-level partnership that bridges University research and public needs through nonformal education and programming. Students increasingly framed Extension’s community role in concrete, applied terms and recognized the need to adapt approaches across rural and urban contexts. Motivations evolved from curiosity or course requirements to intentional exploration of internships and explicit consideration of careers as Extension agents or of collaboration with Extension Offices. Synthesizing across cases, course features that mapped to Social Learning Theory components, which include: attention (exposure to models), retention (guided reflections), reproduction (applied assignments), and motivation (field interactions, agent narratives), clearer professional pathways, and stronger intent to utilize or work within Extension. We conclude that embedding explicit Extension information in undergraduate curricula can strengthen the workforce and civic engagement capacity of Land‑Grant institutions. We recommend integrating experiential modules, Extension office visits, present internships or Extension opportunities, and structured reflection into Extension-related courses to accelerate students’ movement from awareness to action.