Rachael Burt came to Vermont Tech from an extremely small town. She admits that when she first came to college, she felt some trepidation. Others who had left her hometown had suggested higher education would be overwhelming and exhausting, but Rachael quickly learned that this was not the case.
“When I finally got here and started, I knew that it was just a small, sometimes difficult, step to the rest of my life.”
She came to college to get a degree and a job in a field that she loves, Dairy Farm Management. Many students come to Vermont Tech to avoid large class sizes and get a rewarding career soon after graduation.
During her senior year of high school, Rachael was looking into dairy programs in New York and New England. She heard about Vermont Tech’s 2+2 program from a friend who had recently graduated and knew it was a perfect match.
“I could get the hands-on experience and the intense classroom experience that I needed to penetrate the Agricultural Industry.”
From the first day of her Agriculture classes, Rachael was treated “like family”. She and the other students were pushed to learn new things and pursue untried opportunities.
Rachael and her classmates attended several events, like the Northeast Dairy Challenge. There she met industry professionals and made important connections, one of which may lead to an internship or employment at a prestigious breeding company.
Rachael arrived early her freshman year to play on the women’s soccer team and made some of her first friends, she even recognized people from her hometown. She met more like-minded individuals through Dairy Club and, of course, her agriculture classes.
Her advice to incoming students? “Work hard towards what you want, but don’t be afraid of change. You could change your mind on what you want to do with your life 100 times, and that’s okay.”
Rachel is continuing her studies in the 2+2 FARMS program at UVM and also works as a technician in an immunodiagnostic lab.
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