Rebecca George on her time at K State
Rebecca George was awarded the Kansas State University Scholarship in 2019 and after multiple delays finally got the chance to live her dream and spend a semester at this iconic university!
Following are Rebecca’s updates during her time at K State.
Update 1
The weather is starting to warm up here in Manhattan, Kansas as spring is getting closer!
On March 3rd was the 110th KSU Cattleman’s Day held on campus at Weber Hall. The day kicked off with the trade stalls and research posters in the arena. From there I was able to attend the first session of the day. This was given by Jason Sawyer and focused on navigating the U.S carbon markets.
After this session I headed up to the Stanley Stout Centre where the annual KSU Legacy Bull Sale is held. The bull sale is run by the K State Purebred Beef Unit and the class of ASI422 Livestock Sales Management. I have been a part of this class and we gathered early to finish set up leading up to the sale.
The sale was offering 19 Angus Bulls, 14 Simmental Bulls, 9 Hereford Bulls, 1 Elite Angus Heifer, 14 Bred Heifers, 21 Commercial Heifers and 3 Quarter Horses. The sale was a great success, drawing in a large crowd of buyers, K State Alumni, Students and Faculty. The top price of the day (for the cattle) went to the Elite Angus Heifer selling for $10,000 USD. The Angus bulls sold 17/19 and to an average of $6,500 USD.
I really enjoyed Cattlemen’s Day and am very grateful to have been able to participate in the Livestock Sales Management class & assist in the running of the Legacy Sale.
My time at K State is flying by with only 8 weeks left of the semester! I’m looking forward to the rest of my classes and taking part in more of the extracurricular activities here at K State!
Update 2:
The last half of semester has flown by here at K State! The weather has steadily become warmer and spring has definitely arrived in the Northern Hemisphere!
As the semester was wrapping up I was able to fit in a few last trips. At the start of April I was able to head out to Lorraine, Kansas for the Green Gardens Angus Bull Sale. The Jenssen Family had 100 bulls on offer for their 64th Annual Production Sale. Lot 31, Gardens Split Fire PAR J65, was the top bull of the day bringing in $14,500USD. The sale averaged $5070USD. I really enjoyed being able to get out on farm and walk through the bulls pre sale. Congratulations to Green Gardens Angus on a successful sale!
Fellow Aussie and Angus Youth member Emily Hurst was in Manhattan, Kansas to attend a graduation reception for her Masters degree. It was great to be able to catch up with Em and hear about her travels in the US. After 4 months in the US it was nice to spend time with a familiar face from home and celebrate Em’s Master’s degree!
Dr Dan Moser and myself were able to sit down with Shelby Varner to record for the podcast ‘Agriculture Today’ that is produced by K State. We spoke with Shelby about my time in Kansasand the scholarship as a whole. This episode can be listened to if you CLICK HERE.
In the last week of semester I was able to head over to St Joseph, Missouri to visit the American Angus Association. Dr Dan Moser previously worked at the American Angus Association and was able to organise for me to meet with several employees. Jerry Cassady, the Director of Member Services, gave me an overview of the association structure as well as the member and animal registration statistics. I enjoyed talking with Troy Marshall, Director of Commercial Industry Relations, about ongoing projects to assist American commercial breeders to get the most from their herds. I was able to spend time with Kelli Retallick, Angus Genetics Inc Director, and Andre Garcia, AGI Geneticist, who work in the Angus Genetics Inc (AGI). AGI are the department responsible for generating EPDs for the American Angus Association as well generating Australia’s EBV’s. Lastly I was able to chat with Shauna Hermel, Chief Editor for Angus Media, about the different publications, digital media and branding the Angus Media branch work on. We had enough time to be able to sit down with Shauna to record a section for the podcast ‘Angus at Work’. Thanks to Dr Dan Moser for organising such a great trip to the American Angus Office!
Final Update
After 4 amazing months my time at Kansas State University has come to an end! As the end of semester approached I took the opportunity to reflect on my time here.
I’ve enjoyed a range of different classes across the Animal Science and College of Agriculture programs. I am very grateful for all the professors and my classmates for welcoming me into their classes this semester and also for being curious about Australia.
I really enjoyed being able to share my experiences in agriculture and about Australian production systems. I’ve been able to enjoy many American college experiences such as the K State Rodeo, a baseball home game and a Super Bowl watch party. Being able to immerse myself in student life in the Midwest is an experience I will always be grateful for. During my time in the US I have also had several opportunities to experience the US beef industry by visiting a bull sale, The National Western Stock Show and a visit to the American Angus Association. Being able to experience an industry, that I hold a lot of passion for, internationally will always be a privilege and I am thankful for everyone who has taken the time to share their experiences with me.
I would like to thank Dr Dan Moser, Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture, for hosting my exchange here at K State. Dr Moser helped me to create a custom timetable and always ensured I was getting the most out of my experience. I would also like to thank Alpha of Clovia for opening their house to me, sharing their traditions and becoming my home base while in Kansas. Thank you to Bekah Bankson for hosting me over the spring break and sharing all Nebraska has to offer.
My final thank you must go to Angus Australia, especially Jake Phillips. Jake worked very hard to make this scholarship go ahead after 3 years of COVID delays and I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to carry out the scholarship in its original format.
I now head off for my next adventure before returning home to Australia. I am incredibly grateful for the time I’ve spent here at K State & will always be sure to cheer on the Wildcats!
