Laura C
My love of animals and agriculture started at a young age while growing up on a hobby farm on Vancouver Island. Being a part of 4-H helped me find an avenue for agriculture in my future. As with many 4-Hers, I started in 4-H as shy and quiet. Through all aspects of the 4-H program, communications and project work, I gained confidence in working with people and animals.
Highlights include leadership programs, the National 4-H Members Conference in Toronto, being a B.C. 4-H Ambassador and judging at the International 4-H Judging Seminar at the Canadian Western Agribition in Regina. I gained valuable skills in caring for animals and most importantly learned the role of agriculture in everyone’s lives.
After graduating from high school, I wanted to pursue a career in agriculture and went to the University of Guelph, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, with an Animal Science major. Summer jobs included working in an Animal Science lab and working at 4-H Ontario.
We are living in a global economy and food is grown all over the world, so this prompted me to travel and learn about food systems other than Canada. This included field trips through university and studying abroad in Kenya. After university I travelled to Southeast Asia volunteered in Vanuatu with Youth Challenge International. The trip was rounded off with visits to Australia and New Zealand before returning home to start my current job in Vernon. More recently I was able to take an educational leave of absence to complete my Master’s degree in Europe, studying Sustainable Development in Agriculture.
I am fortunate to workfor the Ministry of Agriculture with Youth Development in partnership with B.C. 4-H, bringing my skills from 4-H and my agriculture degree. It is great to be back in BC and to reunite with 4-H alumni as well as meet up and coming 4-H members. For those of you 4-H members, I encourage you to take advantage of every opportunity you can find through 4-H. The rewards are endless and will greatly help towards your future endeavours.