Meet Parker Dean, a second-year student at the University of Queensland (UQ) who's just beginning her journey in the agricultural industry.
Hailing from Noosa, Queensland, Parker's path wasn't always set for the agricultural industry. She faced a tough post-high school decision: nursing or wildlife science? A wildlife science and agribusiness double degree initially appealed, promising a career in regional parks. However, after only a year, she craved a new direction.
“I chose a business style degree as the ‘sensible’ thing on the side, to back up my options for careers post university, but I ended up loving it more than I did wildlife science.”
Coming from a semi-regional background with experience around cattle and showing horses, Parker realised, agriculture was the direction she craved. With the core units of Wildlife Science credited across, that's when the agscience and agribusiness dual degree came together.
It was on the UQ Agribusiness Association’s Facebook page that she was introduced to the upcoming Innovation Generation (IG) conference. The opportunity to be a part of the conference’s working group – where young growers, ag professionals and students serve as the committee touchstone for what the program delivers – was one she couldn’t miss.
“I feel like a sponge in the corner. Everyone is so knowledgeable. I really loved having a role and seeing the experience everyone brings is incredible. I’ve never had much experience on a committee, so I was a bit nervous that I wouldn’t be able to contribute anything, but it’s actually been really good."
"I’ve been able to give a student's perspective on things, and not coming from an ag background, I can give input on breakout sessions like Careers in Ag, which is more useful to me than something like Succession Planning, happening at the same time," she said.
A first-time attendee, Parker is looking forward to the conference. The prospect of exploring careers in agriculture, networking with industry leaders, and learning about the success of women in agriculture is exciting for her.
And for anyone even considering joining the Innovation Generation Working Group next year, Parker's message is a passionate one: take the leap and apply!
"Even if you think you're not worthy, just do it anyway! It turned out to be amazing for me, and has been great to help and be a part of, and now I can say I’ve got committee experience."
Innovation Generation, the conference for young people in ag aged 18-35, is on for the 17th year on the Gold Coast, 23-25 July. Tailored to young growers, young professionals and students, Innovation Generation is filled with future-focused activities to empower future ag leaders to tackle national industry opportunities and challenges.
A market-leading professional development experience that is home to new, innovative ideas and technology, you can visit the Innovation Generation webpage here: https://www.innovationgeneration.com.au/
