Two undergraduates from the UW–Madison Department of Dairy Science have been selected to attend the Agriculture Future of America’s annual Animal Institute. Only approximately 90 students are selected each year to travel to the three-day event April 3-5, and Micheala Slind and Sydney Endres are among them for 2016.
“Since learning about the Animal Institute, I became interested in the networking opportunities with both leading companies in animal agriculture and also students from other leading universities who are looking to pursue degrees similar to mine,” says Slind. “I enjoy learning from people by listening to their experiences, triumphs and failures, and I think that the Animal Institute will give me the opportunity to do this.”
The Animal Institute is held in Kansas City, the heart of the Animal Health Corridor, which is a cluster of animal health companies along Manhattan, Kan. and Columbia, Mo. At the event, students will learn about animal-related career opportunities and connect with industry leaders. Slind and Endres will also visit area animal health services and businesses and attend an industry dinner where they can network with corporate leaders.
“We are extremely proud of Sydney and Micheala for being chosen to attend this important event,” says Dairy Science chair Kent Weigel. “Interacting with other young leaders in food and agriculture will not only help their own career development — it will also allow Micheala and Sydney to bring back valuable information and useful perspectives that can be shared with their peers, regarding key issues and career opportunities in animal agriculture.”
In order for students to be selected for the opportunity, they have to display industry and leadership involvement, possess career goals in agriculture, and show how the program can benefit their career development.
“I believe having a better understanding of other agriculture industries is really valuable because it gives a new perspective on the things I learn on campus and ways to hopefully continue improving the dairy industry,” says Endres. “AFA is an amazing organization that brings in the best of the best to help leaders in agriculture learn more about the field.”