Everyone has a passion, something they feel strongly about. For second-year Animal Science student Amy Harrington, it’s animals.
Amy, a native of Debert, NS, joined the youth organization 4-H 10 years ago — and the rest is history.
“I started out in cake decorating but I really love animals and finally convinced my mom to let me take the goat showmanship project instead,” she says. “Once she found out you are able to borrow another person's goat and don’t have to own one yourself, she was on board.”
Amy had so much fun showing and training her goat that she eventually moved on to the dog obedience project, which she has been doing for the last five years. Through this project, Amy has gone to Pro Show three times for dog showmanship and won first place overall at the provincial level.
“I started getting involved in dog training with my three dogs when I was in grade nine,” she says. “I began by taking obedience classes and then moved on to agility classes also. The same year I became involved in the Little Moe's Paws for Fun agility show.”
Through the show, she traveled to exhibitions and smaller venues to perform in front of audiences with frisbee, relay races, free style routines and obedience routines.
“I am an extremely shy person and this was a way to really help me work through that and gain confidence. Working with and training my dogs really helped me to come out of my shell. It also developed my passion for animals and animal behaviour.”
Going global
Amy was recently selected by Uniterra as one of 30 student leaders from Canada and Tanzania to participate in an international seminar for five weeks this summer in Arusha, Tanzania.
The Uniterra International Seminar has offered Canadian students and young professionals the opportunity to exchange and share knowledge across cultures. First initiated by WUSC in 1948, it connects youth to collaborate on a research project linked to local organizations in Africa, Latin America or Asia.
The seminar hosts 15 students from across Canada each year, alongside 15 students from Tanzania, to discuss hot topics in agriculture. The subject this year revolves around technology in agriculture. Amy will be the only student participating from an agricultural school, leaving her family-run blueberry farm to participate in the five-week seminar.
Traveling over 11,000 kilometres from Nova Scotia to Tanzania is a daunting task, but Amy is up for the challenge.
“While we’re there, we will be touring farms, meeting with farmers, NGOs and agricultural operations to learn what’s working in Tanzania and also what they might need,” she says. “I’m excited to collaborate with the other students and farmers. I can’t wait to learn new perspectives.”
Amy has set up a GoFundMe page for her trip. Visit it at: https://www.gofundme.com/hmrjfdn