News

To help celebrate and welcome new students to campus, we are profiling some of our current students, faculty and staff that you may meet in your travels on your new path at the Faculty of Agriculture.

Meet Connor Fullerton, a 2017 Orientation leader.

Program: International Food Business (IFB)
Year of Study: 3rd Year
Where are you from: Truro (local to area and knows plenty of things to do!)

Tell us more about your background (rural or urban?): I come from a rural background and grew up in the Lower Onslow area near Truro/Bible Hill. Prior to studying on campus, I was involved in 4-H and Junior Achievement for many years, which was what lead me to studying International Food Business because it blended both agriculture and business into one program. 4-H also gave me the photography bug, which has since become a favorite pastime for me. Both of my parents are 2x Alumni and both worked at the NSAC way before it was merged into Dalhousie, so it was natural coming to study here on campus as well! 

Extra-curricular on campus involvement (any clubs, societies, sports team, etc. that you have been a part of): On campus, I've been a part of Cultiv8, SAIL, DalAC Art Show and IFB Club.  

Tell us more about the unique travel experiences you have had with IFB: First and foremost, living in Europe is life-changing; just being abroad and studying at the Aeres University of Applied Sciences in itself is a huge change, but living so far away from home changes you and you'll grow in ways you never would have thought. While I was away, I didn't hesitate to travel and visited many places both in Europe and in the Middle East, including Scotland and Ireland, England, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Qatar (in the Middle East/Asia). My favorite by far was Scotland, which had an incredible atmosphere, lots of history, fantastic people and the scenery was breathtaking! Also, visiting Qatar was well worth checking out and the way that they are planning for the future by investing heavily in infrastructure, tourism and cultural works is something that really caught my eye. Fun fact: there is a significant Canadian population in Qatar, which might surprise many! For prospective IFBs and travelers, Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport has relatively cheap flights to most places so I highly encourage traveling as there are many week-long breaks throughout the year at Aeres University.

What are your academic or career plans for the future: I have ambitions to run my own business in the future, namely in food and beverages and in photography. With the rapidly growing winery, distilling, and brewing industries in Nova Scotia (and across Canada), I am especially excited to take part in this sector! A few things got me interested in the liquor industry, namely backpacking Scotland (the breathtakingly gorgeous homeland for Scotch), one of my friends loving his brewery internship in IFB and having a few rum-runners further up in my family tree! People usually raise their eyebrows at the latter part and it makes me grin!

Any academic advice for first year students: Get out and go to events & parties! Everyone will be out looking to make friends and this is a perfect opportunity to be a social butterfly! That said, get in the groove for classes; set up good study habits for yourself early on and it will save you a lot of frustration later on. Also, don't be afraid to ask questions when you’re unsure and study with friends whenever you can - You'd be amazed how much you can learn from each other. 

What do first year students need to know about Orientation? Everyone is there to have fun, so go wild, do everything, and meet everybody! Also, I am a photographer and like taking pictures of people, so catch me if you want to be an impromptu model! :)

What part of being an O-Leader are you most excited for? Leaving home to go to university is a new chapter in life and I'm excited to help kick-off that new chapter! I also have been a “frosh” so I know how overwhelming it can be and I like talking to and assisting students so they can make the most of their University experience.

What do you love about the AC: It's a small campus with a laid-back community atmosphere. It's super easy to meet people and catch up with friends over a coffee or on a walk through campus! 

Favorite hotspot on campus: The IFB Lounge without a doubt because that's where all us cool kids go! Outside of that, I'm a bit of a nerd so I really like the library, but I also have a soft spot for the cafe down on the bottom floor of Cox's main stairwell. The rock gardens and alumni gardens are a couple gems on campus, and the barns are certainly worth checking out!
Must visit place in Truro: Roadside Willies is by far my favorite restaurant in Bible Hill, and not enough people know about it. 10/10, would recommend to everyone. Victoria Park is well worth visiting regularly too, and is super close to downtown Truro which has seen a lot of recent development. Novel Tea is a great place to grab a coffee and chat with friends.

What does being an aggie mean to you? To me being an Aggie is about learning, knowing and understanding where you food comes from being a community producer in a way that protects and promotes environmental stewardship and sharing this information.

Anything else you would like to add? I'm an avid photographer and networker. Come chat me up at any time, I'd be happy to take a few pictures and may even write a little story about you!