Sarah Roach

As the agriculture industry continues to grow to accommodate the spike in population, the number of individuals that possess the knowledge to nurture and educate others on the animals needs to follow suit. Due to this, the need for food animal agriculture becomes more relevant as it offers a variety of efficiency and stability in a not so stable world. Through my experiences not only in medicine but also in food animal production my passion for the industry continues to grow every day and because of this I certainly want to be immersed in the growth of diversity and education within the industry. My love for animals started at a young age on my grandparent’s small family farm, little did I know how much of an influence this would have on my life. To pinpoint the exact moment that determined my future comes with ease. One morning my grandfather and I saw that a heifer was calving, and the calf was falling right into a deep ditch. Without hesitation, we both ran to help the calf before it fell into the ditch because it was full of water. I was the nimblest so I jumped into the ditch as the calf was passed and held it above water so that it could breathe. My granddad then tried to pull the mom away from me so that I could get the baby out of the ditch and then attempted to pull me out. Being a part of this miracle event not only made me love being on the farm but also confirmed my interest in the veterinary field. It is my plan to continue my education through veterinary school where I will focus on various food animal species. Following this chapter in my life, it is my hope that I will be able to make my mark in the food animal industry by improving animal health and production measures.