Finding my home in the College of Ag, Food and Environment

       On the close of the first week of the brand new academic year, I find it fitting to share with you my personal experience thus far with UK and the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment.  

Choosing to attend the University of Kentucky was automatic for me.  My older brother and sister both went to school here,and consequently I grew up visiting them in Lexington and hearing about their many experiences.  When it was my turn, I was so excited to finally come to UK, but a part of me was apprehensive.  I knew that UK was a large university with hundreds of opportunities, which intimidated me as an incoming freshman coming from a small town and a high school where everyone knew my name.  

I quickly learned in my first week of school as a freshman about the family atmosphere of UK Ag.  Walking into my introductory biotechnology class, I was astonished to see that only about 40 other freshman students were in my major.  I loved that I was able to know almost every student by name by the end of the year.  Not to mention, some of my fellow classmates are now my closest friends.  The apprehension I had once felt faded away in no time.    

As I continued my journey as a UK Ag student, I began to appreciate all of the amazing attributes of the college.  My advisor here in the college, Dr. Bruce Webb, has made a huge impact on my academic experience.  Not only does he help me schedule my courses, but he also informs me of opportunities that he thinks would interest me.  He knows me personally and my goals for the future so he is able to be so much more thanjust a class scheduler.  Not to mention, he ended up being my genetics professor in the ABT program! Other faculty members in the college have gone out of their way to get to know my fellow classmates and me.  In fact, our Associate Dean for Instruction, Dr. Larry Grabau, even attended our Ambassador retreat at Red River Gorge this past weekend.  This is the kind of family environment that has been cultivated in our college since its very beginning.  

Enrolling in the Agricultural Biotechnology program here at UK Ag was the best academic decision I have ever made.  I have most definitely found my home within the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment.  I am so very thankful and proud to be a member of this wonderful family.

Toria is a junior Agricultural Biotechnology major from Hebron, KY.