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A special time of year as young adults finish their college careers with degrees in the field of agriculture.
Lee Maddox: Ag Grads Ready for Our Future. Welcome and hello again everyone for Tennessee Home and Farm Radio, I’m Lee Maddox. It’s that time of year as the pomp and circumstance plays and graduates walk the stage to receive their diplomas, and there are literally hundreds of young adults finishing their college careers and are ready to begin their professional careers in the field of agriculture. Hannah Collins just received her degree in ag education from the University of Tennessee at Martin.
Hannah Collins: Well, it’s been an amazing four years that I’ve spent at UT Martin. I really enjoyed every second. I’ve made a lot of really good friends and I’ve had some of the most amazing professors to guide me along the way.
Lee Maddox: Hannah Collins is from Dyer County, but did not grow up on the farm, but says she’s known for some time now that teaching others about this industry is what she wants in her career.
Hannah Collins: My kind of introduction into the agricultural community and FFA and things like that is from showing cattle. I wanted to be a veterinarian for the longest time, so I started showing cattle and getting involved through that and then that just naturally led me to being involved more in 4-H and FFA.
Lee Maddox: Emily Nave is the seventh generation from their family farm in Cannon County, and she too has reached that milestone of graduating college with a degree in animal science from UT Martin.
Emily Nave: I absolutely loved my time at UT Martin. I was able to not only gain experience hands on through classwork and through laboratories, but also gaining the mentorship of the faculty that UT Martin has is a skill that I have not seen at any other university and is very blessed to get to work with professionals in the industry and make connections that are going to better me in the workforce.
Lee Maddox: UT Martin had 146 undergraduates in agriculture to receive their degrees this spring and graduates like Hannah Collins and Emily Nave are thankful for their time in Martin.
Emily Nave: It was just so much closure for the degree itself, but also made it where I had people to look back on whenever I do have a career and know that my college supports me now as an alumni.
Lee Maddox: And for Tennessee Home and Farm Radio, I’m Lee Maddox.
