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A passion for food has been cooking inside Lauren Peters from a young age. Driven by a desire to take her passion from the kitchen to the classroom, Lauren registered for Discovery Day in 2014 to learn how the Faculty of Agriculture in Truro, NS could support her career ambitions.

Discovery Day is an annual event held on Dalhousie’s Agricultural Campus designed to help young people think outside the barn and translate their passions for agriculture, animals, plants, food, and the environment into highly valuable programs and careers. Exploring our beautiful campus, meeting our professors and students, visiting a residence, and meeting people who operate our services and clubs blend together each year to create a memorable and unique day for visitors.

Lauren remembers it like it was yesterday.

“I remember loving how small and friendly the campus was and how easily I could walk through it and explore. Walking through the rock garden was my favourite memory of Discovery Day and it’s amazing that it was designed by professors and students together. I was convinced that this was the place for me.”

Before reaching high school and facing the post-graduation decision of ‘what next’, she explored her passion for food at every angle by experimenting in her own family kitchen in Antigonish, NS, working at a local egg farm and becoming a 4-H member in the foods project.

Not long after getting involved in her community, Lauren heard from a friend that an International Food Business program was being offered at the Faculty of Agriculture in Truro, NS. The only one of its kind in the world, she began to research it online, and as she recalls, “it was unlike any other program I had heard of and I was intrigued.”

The blend of food and business was not an unfamiliar concept to Lauren growing up in a rural community and observing the world of business and technology through the eyes and experiences of her Mom and Dad who work in accounting and IT.

Upon reaching Dr. John H. Gillis High School, Lauren enrolled in the Grade 11 Agriculture course, which brought her to the Agricultural Campus in Truro, NS for a field trip. There, she visited the aquaculture centre, the on-site farm, the engineering team, the greenhouses, and the many beautiful gardens.  The field trip showed her that everyone should take notice of agriculture as a global industry that will shape the future of what we eat, where we get our food, and how we sustain it. It also showed her that this was the place for her to explore her passion for food. 

As graduation approached, Lauren took notice of a post on Facebook taking her to the Discovery Day website. It was at this event on the Agricultural Campus in November 2014 where Lauren cemented in her mind that this campus and program were both the right fit for her.

At Discovery Day, Lauren heard from students about the range of support services and clubs available to her, as well as the fun on-campus activities that are organized throughout the year by the Dalhousie Agricultural Students’ Association. The event also gave her the opportunity to test out the dining hall, tour residence, ask many questions and meet professors one-on-one.

“I remember meeting my professor who I would have for business writing. Being able to talk to her and introduce myself many months before seeing her in the classroom was great. It helped put a face to the program and made the transition from high school to university less intimidating.”

Even better than the information she gathered, Lauren came away from Discovery Day with added confidence and reassurance that the program and the campus were setting the right path for her future career.

Now in her first year, Lauren is enjoying the independence she has gained by living away from home and the prospect of travelling as part of her program. As she explains, “I enjoy the campus life here and Truro is a fun place to be. I have a lot of close friends and I really value their support. Also, it’s not hard for me to find who to talk to if I need help. I’m excited to travel with many of them as part of our program and explore new parts of the world with them.”

Excitement is a familiar feeling for Lauren and it’s a feeling she also saw and felt in the professors, current students and staff she met while visiting the Agricultural Campus for Discovery Day in 2014. Her excitement is building as she gets ready to volunteer for this year’s Discovery Day on Friday, November 6th. There, she hopes to meet many young people and parents who will fall in love with this campus as she continues to do each and every day.

For more information on this year’s Discovery Day at the Faculty of Agriculture on the Agricultural Campus in Truro, NS, visit: www.dal.ca/discoveryday