“Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful and most noble employment of man.” – George Washington
When deciding on what to do with my life in my senior year of high school, I honestly had no real idea of where to go, or what to really even do. That is, until I realized I had been around and involved with something my entire life: agriculture. When half your friends live on farms outside of town, and your dad runs an irrigation business, it’s hard to avoid it in any way, shape, or form. It’s literally in every single thing that we do every single day. From our food to our clothes, they all had to come from somewhere. This led me to realize that with agriculture, it’s an industry that can literally never die as long as the world keeps turning. With my father running a center-pivot irrigation business with my grandfather, I was employed to them every summer, whether I really liked it or not. While others of my friend group were enjoying their summers being lifeguards, or working at coffee shops, I was out in some cornfield, wondering why the fifth tower was out of line. I vowed each summer that I wouldn’t return to it, but I somehow found myself back there again, eventually realizing that I kind of enjoyed what I was doing, and that problem solving is something that I find exciting.
So now that I realized I wanted to do something with agriculture business, I started looking for a university that had a strong agriculture college, that wasn’t too far from home. Of course I looked at CSU, as well as K-State and a few others, but I eventually came across Wyoming. With an affordable price that beat Colorado State and a great city and atmosphere, I knew that the University of Wyoming was right for me. Plus, being a half hour away from skiing? Who could beat that?
As I started out classes at the university, I soon realized that an equal amount of the business college and the agriculture college went into my Agriculture Business Management degree I was seeking to obtain. However, the difference between the two colleges is absolutely incredible. Now, don’t get me wrong here, the University of Wyoming has a great college of business, but compared to that of the college of agriculture? It’s not even close. The college of ag has allowed me to actually get to know my professors, become involved, and get to know my peers better. One of the most distinctive features of the ag college versus the business college is that of advising. From others of my friends who are seeking degrees through the college of business, advising is what stands apart from other larger colleges. In business, my friends barely know their advisors and faculty members, and it leads to confusion to them as to where to go next in getting their degree. But for me in the college of ag, this confusion is long gone. By being able to actually sit down with my advisor that knows me and what I actually want to do with my degree, I find that my worries about what to do next are gone. I find this to be true with other professors and staff as well, they’re genuine people who actually see you as a person and not a number. On top of this, having a college that pushes you to go out and do things like study abroad and take trips and not just get your degree and leave is incredible as well. This college has truly helped to shape my life, and I wouldn’t trade it.
-Andrew Anderson