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To help celebrate Welcome Week 2016, The Faculty of Agriculture is profiling some of the people you will meet across the campus community in your travels on your new path at the Faculty of Agriculture.

The People in Our Neighborhood: Amy Harrington

Where are you from: Glenholme, Nova Scotia 

What do you do at Dal:
I'm pursuing a Bsc (Agr) Major in Animal Science on the Agricultural campus and entering my third year.

What does Dal AC mean to you?
It’s a place where hands-on experience and classroom lessons collide. Having the campus farm, greenhouses and demonstration gardens make it so easy to not only be taught through lectures, but also have the chance to physically do things yourself. I think that is the most rewarding kind of education, which you will carry with you for years to come.  

What are you looking forward to the most this year?
I am super excited about my courses this year. The first two years of my degree were pretty broad in terms of subject matter. Now I am getting into topics that interest and excite me more; ones I will carry with me into my further studies.  

What do you enjoy most about the Agricultural Campus?
I love the intimate atmosphere of the campus. Small class sizes allow you to really get to know your professors and fellow classmates. More experiences and international opportunities are made available to you as there is less competition for spaces and personal relationships with staff allows for valuable recommendations or considerations. The campus is also very beautiful. In between classes I love to sit in the gardens and read. The walking trail is also great to walk my dogs and get a break from studying.  

What do you hope to do with your education once you graduate?
I hope to further my education after graduation. I am currently exploring Masters programs in zoology. 

How did your international internship enhance your learning? And tell us about it!   
My international experiences have really helped me to be able to adapt to whatever situations are thrown at me and boost my self confidence.

In August 2015 I travelled to St. Kitts through the International Office on the Ag Campus and collaborated with a fellow Dalhousie student and students from a university there to produce a social marketing campaign with the goal of increasing the interest of youth in agriculture.

I am currently just finishing up a seminar in Tanzania with a collaboration between eight Canadian youth and eight Tanzanian youth to produce a research project looking at how small-scale farming can help improve global food security. When collaborating with students from another culture, adaption is a key skill to learn. Not everything is going to go as smoothly as you hope and that's still okay, too.

In both experiences I was able to interview farmers and youth and gain a whole new perspective of agriculture in the Caribbean and Africa. I knew my own personal Canadian experience, but it was so rewarding to speak face-to-face with so many farmers and learn about the different challenges they are facing.