Meet the Agricultural and Food Sciences Class of 2024
The UM convocation ceremony celebrating Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences graduates is Thursday, June 6. Meet some of the members of this year’s graduating class.
RILEY KEHLER
Diploma in Agriculture
(recipient of the President’s Medal – Diploma in Agriculture, among others)
WHY DID YOU PICK YOUR PROGRAM?
I chose the agriculture diploma partially based on a recommendation from the employer I wanted to work for, and partially for myself to better prepare for the ag industry I was entering.
FAVORITE MEMORY OF YOUR PROGRAM?
My favorite memory of the program will absolutely be the people I met and the friends I made. Ag is a relatively small industry and since we’ve finished, I’ve already bumped into classmates through work, and kept in contact with many regardless as well.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO YOURSELF BEFORE YOU STARTED YOUR PROGRAM, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE?
Just enjoy it for what it is. I’m older than most of my classmates were, and while I saw the value of the diploma, in the moment it wasn’t always something I wanted to be doing with my time. But the time goes by very quick, and I’ll look back fondly on the time. So, for myself and many others that feel the same, just enjoy this very short stage of life, take it for what it is, and let it add to your value and experience as you head into a long work force ahead.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING NEXT?
I got a job following school at GJ Chemical in Arnaud. They are an agronomic servicing chemical retail where I’ll be a sales agronomist. I’ve worked for this company group in the past pre-diploma, which piqued my interest in ag and inspired me to get my diploma, so I’m happy to be returning full time following graduation.
ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD?
While I had a couple opportunities outside of the school for work, I was surprised how many work opportunities there were through the school. In the form of job fairs and just meeting people it isn’t difficult to get a job following grad. There is so much opportunity in this industry so if anyone is looking for a quick way to get a good career, I think the agriculture diploma is a good step in doing so.
RACHEL AKONG
Bachelor of Science in Human Nutritional Sciences (Dietetics)
(recipient of the Elizabeth Lewis Rose Memorial Book Prize in Human Nutritional Sciences)
WHY DID YOU PICK YOUR PROGRAM?
Holding multiple degrees from McGill University in a variety of specialties and having worked for several years as a pediatric physician assistant in Quebec, I knew that this wasn’t the sector of healthcare I wanted to work in for the rest of my life. Many western medical practices go against my ethos as a healthcare practitioner, so I decided to investigate a host of other medical and allied health professions that interested me to make a career switch. Dietetics kept coming back to the top of the list throughout my research and it’s funny because I almost studied dietetics at McGill back in 2015 but instead, I acquired another degree in pharmacology. The provision of healthcare through food and nutrition as well as the overall dedication to a holistic approach to health is what drew me to dietetics as these concepts fit with my practice style. Dietetics will also enable me to live a much less stressful life and you cannot put a price on quality of life!
FAVOURITE MEMORY OF YOUR PROGRAM?
As someone who fears public speaking, it is ironic that my most favourite moment of the program should be a presentation and skit that my colleagues (shout out to Emily and Hiwot!) and I put on in Clinical Nutrition II taught by instructor Bradley Feltham. We got so many laughs, and it was such a fun and unique experience. I hope this assignment stays on the syllabus for many years to come.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO YOURSELF BEFORE YOU STARTED YOUR PROGRAM, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE?
I would say: do not take Vitamins (HNSC 3300) and Clinical I/II (HNSC 4500 and HNSC 4550) at the same time! These three courses nearly took out half of the graduating class this past year, so to all those planning your schedules, take Vitamins in year 3 (or year 2 if you’re in the second-degree program)! I would also tell myself to slow down and enjoy the process a little more rather than getting caught up in the minutia of student life.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING NEXT?
This past year was a grueling one, so I decided to take some time off to work and enjoy life as an “adult” again before applying to the MAHN program to become a clinical dietitian. Once I complete that part of the process and pass the Canadian Dietetic Registration Examination (CDRE), I intend on specializing in women’s health with a special focus on fertility and hormonal dysregulation. After a few years working in hospital (fingers crossed), I plan to start my own private practice and have also been entertaining the idea of establishing mobile dietetic services in Winnipeg alongside many of my colleagues from this program so that we can provide service to clients all over the city and possibly extending into some rural areas.
NATHAN KRAHN
Diploma in Agriculture
(co-valedictorian and recipient of the James Farms Award, among others)
WHY DID YOU PICK YOUR PROGRAM?
I chose this program because of recommendations from others who had done the Agriculture Diploma program or been a panelist for the final presentation. This program is designed for students pursuing schooling in agriculture to grow in understanding day-to-day farming operations like crop/livestock planning and management, financial literacy, marketing, etc.
FAVORITE MEMORY OF YOUR PROGRAM?
My favourite memory from the program would be our Experiential Learning weeks when we were able to get out of the classroom and experience how real farms and agricultural businesses work.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO YOURSELF BEFORE YOU STARTED YOUR PROGRAM, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE?
If I could give myself advice when starting the program, it would be to ask more questions. That is something I grew in over time during the program but could have started sooner.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING NEXT?
I am currently working at an Agriculture Retail company named Terraco in Ile des Chenes, MB. I am here to learn about agronomy, sales, and supply chains before moving home to farm at Rivers, MB with my family in a few years.
MIREILLE KRUL
Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Animal Systems)
(recipient of the UM Gold Medal, Agricultural and Food Sciences, among others)
WHY DID YOU PICK YOUR PROGRAM?
I grew up on farms and always loved agriculture, especially the animal side of it. Agriculture is always changing and improving, which is exciting, and feeding people is important.
FAVORITE MEMORY OF YOUR PROGRAM?
One of my favorite parts about my program is all the field trips we got to go on. Visiting different farms and seeing the practical application of what we learned in class was interesting and fun.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO YOURSELF BEFORE YOU STARTED YOUR PROGRAM, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE?
If I talked to myself before I started my program, I would tell myself to be intentional about connecting with people at university. Everyone has interesting stories to share, and having diverse friends and acquaintances makes university much more exciting.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING NEXT?
I have been accepted to start a master’s program in Animal Science at Wageningen University starting this fall. I’m very excited!