When you think of the University of Florida, things such as football, orange and blue, and the Rowdy Reptiles are things that might come to mind. Agriculture probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, but did you know that without agriculture, and a need to create a “farmer’s college” in the 19th century, that UF wouldn’t exist? As a product of the first “land grant” act in the age of Abraham Lincoln, UF’s roots were built on farming and home economics with the beginnings of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Today, UF is so much more than a farmer’s college, earning the moniker of “the Greatest University in the South,” and I am proud to be a part of it today.
Since I was involved in agriculture as a kid through 4-H, FFA, and showing animals at the county fair, I always knew one day that I would be a Gator at the Florida’s premier college of agriculture. I wasn’t always sure what I’d be going to study there, but after some work experiences and reflecting on my own time in an agricultural education program, I eventually settled on something known as agricultural education and communications. After graduating high school in 2015, I took a year to finish
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Before I became a Gator, I knew I had a passion for the industry, but I am grateful to attend a university whose roots are built on agriculture that continues to produce the nation’s leaders and innovators in the agriculture industry whom I hope to join someday. UF is helping me achieve my ultimate goals of helping to shape a better future for Florida with agriculture, by giving me an education that is second to none in my field. It is supplemented with countless other amazing things, such as clubs, outstanding professors, cutting edge courses and so much more through my experience in Gainesville, once home to just a farmer’s college, but now home to the Gator